The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-10-11
Railroad Board Issues State
ment About Investigation.
Signed by J. W. Robson, Mem
Der of Board.
hANY INACCURACIES.
Believed That Mr. Robson Did
Not Prepare 1T.
New Light on Colorado Feature
of Report.

IN defense of their table of com
parative rates. compiled under the
terms of the Stone resolution. the
state board of railroad commissioners
have come out with long statement.
The statement is signed by J. w
Robson. chairman of the board. APP
parently the statement is purely a per-
sonal affair with Mr.. Robson; it is
written in the first person singular,
and no names but that of Mr. Robson
are attached thereto. It seems that
Mr. Robson is voicing the sentiments
of the board, however.
It is stated on good authority that
the statement was prepared by Geo.
". Wheatiey, and that A D. Walker
refused to share in the responsibility
for its publication
This explanation of the board
sounds as though it might have been
prepared by railroad attorneys. 1t is
printed in full this morning in the
Kansas City Journal5sIt takes about a
column of space. One ct the most re-
markable portions Of the explanation
is this:
Some remarks have been made
concerning the way in which the board.
proceeded to get its figures for the re-
port. They We're all taken from the
rate sheets sent to the Office by the
different railroads. They were not
taken from the different tabulated re-
ports made by the roads. The differ
ent roads were asked to make such q
report, and some of them complied,
but the report of the board is made
from the tariffs filed IN its Office as
provided by law. After the board
had completed its report, some COM
parsons were made between it's re-
port and some of the reports filed by
the railroads to ascertain if there
was any difference. In all comparisons
the figures We're the same. There is
no expert rate man on the board or in
the office and the last legislature re-
FUSED to give the board a rate clerk
although the board went before the
different committees and asked for
one The only way the board has of
finding out a railroad rate is from the
tariffs filed by that road. That is ex-
actly what was done in this case. It
IS not true that the towns and dis
tances were named by the railroads
They were all elected by the board.
The tabulated report and tariffs are
on file at this Office for inspection by
anyone who desires 10 inform himself
and II might be we'll for the interested
parties to avail themselves of the OPP
portunity to make -connDa risonsr before
Offering further criticism
me above quoted paragraph is so
full of strange statements that it is
almost beyond belief that J. w. Rob-
lson should sign it. knowing what he
was signing. 1t is fair to suppose that
Mr.. Robson was led into signing this
statement under a misrepresentation
OF facts.
The fact is that the board of rail-
road commissioners did get its figures
for the report direct from the traffic
departments of the different railroads:
that the railroads were allowed to fill
in the names Of such towns for pur-
that the members of the railroad
as furnished by the railroad COM
panies, and that whatever checking
over was done at all was done by
clerks of the board.
As matter of fact, very few of the
figures were checked-just enough
were selected to afford an indication
that the report was correct. It is
doubtful whether even at this time
the board has in its files the tariffs
which would be necessary in the
preparation of such a report.
The statement signed by ]. w Rob
isOn also contains many statements
in an effort to justify the action of
including Colorado in the compilation
of the tariffs, contrary to, the specific
terms of the resolution.
The records of the board show that
the decision to get tariffs from Colo
RADIO was not concurred in by all the
members of the board. It seems to
have been brought about through the
influence of Wheatley.