The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-05-13
HAVE TO HUSTLE.
New Railroad Law Is Having Its
Effect.
Gives the. Board Some Actual
Work to Do.
CARR TAYLOR TALKS.
Attorney for State Says the Law
Is Good One.
Board Now Able to Be of Practi-
cal Use.
CARR TAYLOR TALKS.

Members of the state board of rail-
road commissioners assert that the
work of that board has increased SO
per cent. since the passage of the new
fallroad law by the last legislature.
Ihere IS a vast difference in the
general atmosphere of this depart
laeht OF the state government. Prior
10 the last legislature it seemed to be
feposing IN state of comatose gran
deur The members of the board
drlfted into town occasionally; now
and then a half-hearted complaint
about something would come in, and
be solemnly placed on file and made
of record in a big book That was
usually about the end of the chapter.
The board seemed to be existing
chiefly to furnish political employ
ment for a number of patriots and
statesmen.
Things are different now. Business
is coming in. The members of the
board are kept really busy going from
place to place to investigate COM
plants which keep coming by every
mail. The railroad officials seem to be
impressed with the necessity of com
/ ing over once in a While to see about
/ things; they consult with Carr Taylor
/ dtlOE4EN lOt AllG DOdIQs ana seem 10
take lively interest in what the board
! is doing.
Carr Taylor is probably responsible
for q good deal of the renewed life
which is being experienced by the
/ board. He constitutes sort of a link
/ between the public and the board; he
is somebody TO whom the public can
appeal to represent them and obtain
for them a full hearing before the
/ board 1t was a wise move when the
] LEGISLATURE created the Inh n 9ftOT-
ney.
Mr.. Taylor says that the new rail-
road law is wholly responsible for the
4 increased business.
When the railroad law was under
i discussion" he says, the newspapers
/ printed a great deal about it, and the
/ shippers were interested. They watch
! ed the fight closely, and when it was
all over, the state was pretty we'll
posted on the situation, and was also
/ generally impressed with the fact that
the state had obtained a good railroad
law. 1t was generally understood by
/ the public that at last the state had a
law which enabled the public to get
some redress when they felt that the
railroads had given them the worst of
it. Consequently, they are taking ad-
vantage of the situation. Whenever
the small Shlpper runs up against
/ something which does not exactly suit
! him, he writes a letter in here and
tells US about it. It is not necessary
for him to go and hire an attorney to
do this; all that is necessary is to call
it to the attention of the board. The
board checks it up to the railroad
company for an explanation. The rail-
road company writes a letter to the
/ board in its defense. The board COM
municates the reply to the complain
ant, and if he is not satisfied, he can
file formal complaint against the
road, and the case will be set for hear
ing.
Taylor Hasn't Time.
"Of course, don't have time, as at
torney for the board, to work up the
evidence in these cases; I have to de-
pend upon the people who have griev-
ances to do this. I expect that since
I have been appointed I have had fifty
different people say to me, we have
some difficulties about shipping which
we are getting into shape, and when
we know what we want we will write
to you about them That seems tC
be the way it is all over the state. PeO-
pie are waking up to the fact that the
railroad board is able to help them IN
a practical way
s'I consider this board of the utmost
importance to the state, and it is a
shame that the legislature Should give
il ONLY $1,000 a year for contingent
exDenses while it allows to the Ar
/ kansas river lawsuit deal the sum OF
$4,000 Out of that $1,000 which we
get the board must pay all the wit
nesses. This year the board needs the
assistance of an expert tariff man, tC
visit certain western states in com
pliance with the Stone resolution, and
obtain comparative figures on the rates
of this and other states. That would
be the best way to obtain this very i'm