The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-02-20
RAILROADS WIN.
Fear of Certain Interests Produces
Commercial Clubs Neutrality.

! interests
fight to keep the Topeka Commercial
club neutral in regard to railroad leg
islation now pending before the SEN
ate. which gives the board of railroad
commissioners the right to make
rates and to correct extortions or dis
ordinations that may exist in freight
rate schedules in Kansas.
The two bills over which the discus
sion is now prevailing are:
! First, the Carver bill, which per-
nits the commissioners to- adjust rates
of their own motion. This bill is the
one SO vigorously pushed by shippers
and which passed the house by unani-
nous vote.
Second. the Smith bill. which re-
quires that complaint must first be
made, before commissioners can act.
This bill is the one desired by the
railroad interests and is no better than
the present law.
The fight took the turn. where it
was charged this morning, that the
railroads were intimidating local
shippers that their jobbers' rates would
be withdrawn, unless the fight was
stopped.
Secretary T. J. Anderson of the club
had a stream of callers at his office
all morning, and the majority came to
! 9e about the meeting tonight.
About IL o'clock he said that he
realized that nothing short of dis
rupted club would result if he let mat
fers continue, so he called together the
| board of directors of the organization
to meet and act Gin the interests of
harmony
The board went into executive ses-
sion at 11:3O o'clock this morning,
and it was quarter of / before they
adjourned. None of the members
would talk much about the discussion,
but it is said that it was brisk and
! warm.
cision was reached to withdraw both
of the present resolutions, one Of
which declares for an affirmative, and
the other for a neutral attitude con-
4 cerning the Carver bill, and for the
club to absolutely wash its hands OF
the whole matter and stay entirely
out of the fight.
The special meeting set for tonight
at the club rooms for s o'clock will be
held. The board of directors will
gather a half hour sooner and formal
Ily draft resolution to clear up the
whole matter, in short, they will thor
oughly soak a big sponge with water,
clean off the slate and hide the pencil,
so far as railroad legislation is con-
cerned.
Tonight.s meeting win be formal A
present agitat ton, and it is pretty well
understood that the majority of the
members OF the club will only be too
ready to table the entire matter. The
| without much question.
Secretary Anderson was delegated to
| talk to the reporters of the decision of
| the board meeting this morning
| why was such action taken?' was
asked.
Harmony" sounded the major from
the biggest diapason in his vocal ar
rangement. Harmony" he reiterated
1T has taken years to build up this
| Commercial club. Over there the Aud
itoriurn, the big pipe organ. the Mid
winter fair, stand as monuments to the
achievements of our organization. We
have many members, more than we
ever had before. Every day more are
Joining: We have gotten to the place
now where we can do good and much
of it. We must not break up our or
ganization. The club has taken sides
in regard to this matter A great many
declare that they do not want to see
US mix up in politics. A general feel
ing is pervading both sides, that the
wise thing, the best thing to do, is to
withdraw both of the resolutions which
have been presented, and to put the
/ club in just the same position regard
| ing the matter, which it was before it
was ever brought up, and then to re-
main that way.
1T was then decided continued the
major, Ito have the board of directors
meet formally tonight at 1880 o'clock,
and draw UP resolution, expunging
all previous actions of any kind, and
present this as a recommendation to
| the special club meeting which is cali
ed for o'clock. There will be no fight.
The gathering will last only little
while and will be formal The club
will stay out of this fight, and nothing
more is to be said about it"
This ends practically about four days
of the worstsha aking-up which the Topeka
! Commercial club has ever had. A week
ago last Friday night, at the regular
meeting an innocent looking resolution,
| which provoked not a word of discus
sion. was passed, urging the legislative
epresentatiVeS of Shawnee county to
work and vote for the passage Of the
Carver railroad bill, which empowers
| the board of railroad commissioners to
| correct any freight rate discriminate
or extortions.
A special meeting for last Thursday
night was called at noon of that day
ito consider railroad matters. Nobody
seemed to know just what it was all
! about That night 26 members of the
club gathered and rescinded the action
of the Friday night before, leaving the
club neutral in regard to railroad legis-
| Iation.
Many of the members who were not
at the special meeting at once declared
the gathering packed and set about
to have another special meeting called
for tonight to again turn over the orig
! fnal resolution, face up
Then the railroads got busy. It is
| said that they threatened to withdraw
what are known as jobbers' rates from
some of the Topeka shippers unless
they got out of the fight Railroad rep
resentatives canvassed this town thor
ougIlly ana stirred up a big fight in the
1 Commercial club The difference be-
came so marked today that the board of
directors met to see what was best to
be done and proceeded on the "har-
mony'' theory. to wipe out the whole