The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-02-09
OhILnUhU NLUVa
Fake Stories About Passes for
Kansas Statesmen.
One Legislator Said to Have
Made a Big Haul.
S437 WORTH OF PASSES.
Secured $4,000 Miles in One
Day.
ssShOrt Grass Members Are the
Most Greedy.
s487 WORTH OF PASSES.

Some of the serious, steady-golng rail-
way magazines are inclined to take ser
fouslv all the stuff which the cores
pondents are sending out of Topeka
about the railways and the legislature
Here is an editorial from the last issue
Of the Railway & Engineer Review;
According to ST Louis papers, the
members of the present Kansas legisla-
ture are holding up the railroads for an
unusual amount of free transportation
Ii is stated that on a recent date new
member of the house asked for p trip
passes covering over $4,000 miles, which
at the ordinary rate of transportation
was worth upwards of $4S7, and the
railroad representative complying with
same is said to have remarked that 1t
was very good for one days graft on
one railroad by an inexperienced mem
Der If he had been an experienced
member he likely would have askedsfo
my book of blanks" While no doubt
the Kansas legislators in common win
those of some other states nave colnpaf-
Rtlvely little hesitancy in asking for
what they want and unfortunately IN
most cases, too little trouble in getting
g. it is yet to be said that this Drancn
of the pass evil, like the balance or H.
is being cut down each year 1t would
be very much better if, as IS proposed
in the Missouri legislature the mem bers
would pass a law requiring railroads 10
grant them free transportation for
themselves within the state. This would
at least SAVIOR of honesty. something
which is entirely lacking under the pres
ent system
The railway magazines should re-
member that the Topeka correspond
ents for eastern newspapers have to
live and this is the season Of the year
when the -string" has to be padded out
to the limit.
The story referred to above concern
ing the Ss37 worth Of transportation IS
what is commonly known as fake 1t
is safe to say that the present Kansas
legislature is no worse than any other
legislature The members ask for passes
when they want them, and they gen
orally, but not always, get what they
ask for.
1t is said by the railway officials that
the most greedy pass-seeSers are the
new members from the short grass
country. who have been brought no TO
believe that it is part OF their duty as
members Of the legislature to ask for
all the passes they can possibly man
age to give away. When these MEM
bers are finally spotted by the railways
they are placed on the blacklist and
find it difficult to get even what passes
they are actually in need Of
Tt is seldom that the railways will
grant trip passes to members for THEN
friends who want to go outside of the
state. Such passes have been asked fol -,
and the requests have been turned
down One western representative asked
for TRANSFORMATION from his county 10
New York for the family of one of his
constituents. He didn't get it,
However. there is no lack of passes
for members. Every day the Office of
General Attorney A. A. Hurd Of the
Santa Fe is the busy part of the Santa
Fe office building. Whenever Mr.. Hun i
is in ne is chiefly occupied in talking to
members of the legislature and issuing
passes to those who call or send COM
municatiOns over by the pages.