The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-01-17
RIPLEY WON'T Talk.
President of Santa Fe Fefuses to Dis
cuss Prouty Criticisms

cuss Prouty Criticisms
The Chicago Tribune says:
President E. P. Ripley of the Santa
F'e railway system has decided to say
nothing more in the public prints about
Interstate Commerce Commissioners
Prouty, who of late has said some ex-
ceedingIy harsh things about Mr.. Rip
ley,also in the public prints, concerning
the alleged rebates granted by the
Santa Fetothe Colorado Fuel and Iron
company.
Mr.. Ripley win continue to think of
Mr.. Prouty, in what terms one can
only imagine. but no matter what Mr..
Prouty continues to say it will get no
more than well-thought thought I'M
expressed out of the Santa F'e presi-
dent.
This radical change in policy develop
ed when it was expected that Mr.. Rip
le1' would pay his daily respects to Mr..
Prouty's latest daily respects tele-
graphed from Washington. Mr.. PrOuty
said Mr.. Ripley as a railway president
was a wicked man for having permitted
concessions to the Colorado fuel and
Iron company for more than five years
law, the federal court injunction, and
the EIzins law.
But Mr.. Ripley had nothing to say on
Prouty as Prouty or even on Prouty
as interstate commerce commissioners.
He just thought and let 1t go at that.
Who or what contrived to effect this
change doubtless will prove an interest
ing subject of speculation, for Mr.. Rip
ley is not telling. A report, the author
ity of which cannot be uneQuivocally
vouched for, has it that the Prouty-Rip-
ley interchange of personalities has done
more than anything else to drag the
name of Secretary Paul Morton into the
rebate question and that President Rip
ley has been "called off,"
President Ripley was thinking of Mr.
Prouty when a reporter for The Trib-
une called on him yesterday afternoon
in his office in the Railway Exchange.
was pacing his office between lengthy
stares at the lake and chewing his
cigar. Presently President Ripley ask
ed over his shoulder:
ST suppose you've come to hear what
have to say about Prouty's-''
Yes. yes. exactly. Now would
you"
mo, I don't think 1 shall say any
little piece and have spoken my little
piece and 1 guess We'll let it go at
that"
But these rebates"
There were no rebates" said Mr..
Ripley at length with an effort. How
eoudl we give rebates when the coal
company paid no freight. In this case
we simply collected the price of the
coal for the coal company, as is the
custom out there"
Then why did you make this par
ticular rate?"
thing" replied Mr.. Ripley, "and don't
know that I shall. but I may have
word or two on the subject, and If
you'n please go away and come back
in an hour I'll think it over with Mr..
Kenna and let you know whether
have anything to say"
President Ripley had no sooner
thought this thought than Mr.. Kenna
appeared in the room as by magic.
When the hour was up President Rip
lev again received the reporterf for The
Tribune and handed him this typewrit-
ten statement:
"The statements that have been made
by the press relative to the recent
hearing of the interstate commerce
commission for the purpose OF lnves-
tioatine New Mexico coal rates 1ndI-
cate an utter misconceptions of the
facts disclosed by the testimony, Whlch
are as follows:
old Mexico located upon the Ell Paso and
southwestern railroad and Its connexions,
have long been important customers OF
i tslS q cn1sIi,,,ntion Of bituminous coal.
-Ihs favored coal by reason of its quality
for steam purposes. is that mlned IN
RADIO All the mines situated upon tne
santa Fe railway producing this quality
Colorado Fuel and Iron company
Two years ago the Atchison company
in
fronted with the necessity of making a
snecific freight rate which would en-
courage the industries mentioned to use
coal Instead of oil, which was then De-
I'm considered and had become a prac-
tirshIe and cheap fuel in consequence
Of large discoveries of oil In Texas and
California -. -o-+t, 4,o,- -,
srran cement was arrived at whereby the
Atchison company agreed that II would
ssrT1- coal from the mines to Deming for
- % a ton and then deliver It to the
III Paso and Southwestern ra1iroad COM
oanx- Collecting in addition to its own
Freight rate of $3.50, the sum OF Sl-lV 1or
The Colorado Fuel company, as was the
e,,s+oro AZ all roads in that territory.
ssrThrough some inexplicabie mistake,
The 5oinf rate which was put IN force to
cover This arrangement, and which should
bo,re ehoTn llpon its face that the rate
ircISded the price Of coal, failed to dis
nioSe the fact, and as consequence it
s.. s srS there NAV have been an I'M
Intentional violation OF the law
ssTIIt It is obvious that no one was IN
i,,red thereby because the COLORADO Fuel
ana Iron company received under tne ar
"a 1pernenf nothing more than the con-
fraef Y7rice for its coal, and there were
no other shippers in that held. .
t.-sha a sllrdity of the current reports
tn tbs effect that rebates were paid the
Colorado Fuel and Iron company is clearly
shown by the fact that the FUEL company
had no interest whatever IN the 1reignt
rates ali of which were paid by the con-
sumers."
Crew of Daredevil Testers
The management of the Burlington
ratIroad has recently devised and put
into ewaoT4tfon a somewhat novel plan