The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-09-02
CAUSES A STIR.
Action Of Rock Island In Moving
Offices.
All the General Offices Removed
From Kansas.
ISSUE in CAMPAIGN.
E IN CAMPAIGN.
Effort Made to Force Mainte.
nance of Offices.
Secretary of Commercial FEEDER.
alton Here to See About 1t.

| road company abOliShing the Office of
division passenger agent for the state
of Kansas may be made an issue in
| the campaign which the Federation of
Commercial Interests of Kansas will
carry on for the election of a board
| of railway commissioners.
One of the objects of the Federation
of Commercial Interests is to work
to secure the passage of a number of
will give the board of railway COM
missioners the same power which the
commissioners of Texas enjoy.
H. L. Resting of Wichita, secretary
/ of the Federation, was in Topeka this
week in consultation with Major T. j.
Anderson, secretary of the local Com
mercial club. and at that time he
stated that a number of bills are be-
| ing compiled, embracing the best
! points of the Texas, Iowa and Ne
/ braska railroad laws. These bills will
| be sent broadcast over the state OF
Kansas, and a bitter fight is to be
railway commissioners which will put
the laws into operation after they are
passed by the legislature.
| One of the bills which will be intro
duced in the legislature will require
every railroad operating in the state
to have a Kansas charter and to be
| operated by resident officials, the
same as is required in Texas.
Inc recent OrQ0r OF the 1NOCk 1SldnQ
completely abolishing the office of the
passenger department in Kansas, COM
ing as it does at this time, will I'M
doubtedly greatly accelerate the
movement begun by the Federation of
Commercial Interests.
The case of the Rock Island is cited
because it is fresh in the mind of the
public. Formerly all the lines of the
Rock Island west of the Missouri river
were operated by general officials sta
toned in Kansas.
Beginning with the time when the
road was taken by the Moores and
the Leeds, and c. H. Warren was
brought to take charge from the Great
Northern railway, reorganization be-
gan which has gradually but surely
taken all of the principal operating
and passenger men from Kansas and
the offices which we're formerly To-
Gated in Topeka are now located at
Chicago and Kansas City.
Division passenger agencies were es-
Missouri river at the time the office
of assistant general passenger agent
of lines west of the river was abol-
ished. Division freight agencies were
also established in each state.
Kansas people are at a loss to I'M
derstand the reasons for the last move
on the part of the Rock Island abol-
ishing the division passenger Office for
Kansas when the Offices of the same
rank in other states have not been
moleSted.
Patrons of the Rock Island in Kan
sas and especially in Topeka were in
hopes that the last change in the man.
agement of the Rock Island which
was made about a year ago, when l..
H. Loree came to the Rock Island
would result in the establishment of
some of the more important offices of
the road in Topeka again, but in this
matter the patrons have again suf-
fered a disappointment
Where formerly the work of the gen
eral freight agent and the general pas
Senger agent attended to in Kansas
by the respective officials personally, tho
ing representatives.
1t makes it very inconvenient for pa
irons in dealing with the company to
have to take up important matters with
travelling representatives who in turn
have to take up the matter with higher
officials through correspondence which
has to pass through two or three offices.
The action of the Santa Fe railroad in
case of this kind is significant. The
Santa Fe decided to remove the general
freight agent of the railroad from Tope-
ka to Chicago. The change was made
and it was soon found to result to the
office was re-established in Topeka
Kansas is recognized a very profita-
BILE field for the railroads, and it is also
q fact that the Kansas division is one of
the most profitable of the Rock Island
system. The people of Kansas therefore
and the patrons of the road have felt
that they have suffered injustice
the hands of that company during the
past few years.