The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-04-13
Complaints Being Filed
Before Railroad Board.
People Seem to Think They Nav
Find Relief.
WHAT RICHARDS SAYS
Claims Township Trustees Have
No Right to Complain.
A LOOphOIe of Escape Is Sought
For.

A great variety of complaints is
coming in to the board of railroad
commissioners nowadays. Some of
them are matters which come directly
under the jurisdiction of the board.
but there are others with which the
board has nothing to do.
It appears that all of the railroads
have not put into effect the rates
established on oil by the maximum oil
rate bill, probably through an over
sight. E. A. Rector, a merchant of
Lamar, Kas., complains that he is
charged too much freight on oil from
Kansas City. He sends the commits
sioners a freight bill showing that he
is charged 38 cents a hundred, or
$1.52 a barrel, on oil shipped by the
National Oil company from Kansas
City. He says that this is the same
as he has always paid, and that an
agent of the National Oil company
told him to refer it to the railroad
commissioners. He thinks the rate
should be about 35 cents a barrel, or
less h one-fourth the amount
charged. It is possible that this is an
interstate shipment, owe which the
Kansas railroad board has no control.
Col. J. H. Richards. of Fort Scott,
general attorney for the Missouri Pa
cifc, writes the board concerning two
complaints which have been made con-
corning service on his One is
a complaint which was recently filed
with the commission by the township
trustee n the business men of To-
wanda, Butler county, asking that the
/ Missouri Pacific be compelled to stop
a certain passenger train there which
now runs right through the town. h
| other was from the township trustee,
personally, of Baker township, Craw-
ford county, asking that the Missouri
Pacific be instructed 10 give the town
| of ChicOpee a depot, sidetrack and
general shipping facilities.
Colonel Richards says that the new
law does not give township trustees
the right to file complaints with the
railroad board. although private indi-
viduals are authorized to do so. The
old law gave special authority to
township trustees to make complaints,
but this. Colonel Richards says was
repealed by the new law, and he asks
if the board intends to rule that these
complaints are good.
It does not seem to be the policy of
the Missouri Pacific to take any notice
of the justice of any complaint, but
on which to oppose complaints against
John Enterline, a miller of Simpson,
on the Union Pacific a few miles below
Beloit, writes the railroad board that on
March Is he shipped a a of our to
Downs. It went up to Beloit and at
one O'Clock on the same day it was
transferred to the Missouri Pacific at
Beloit. That is only 20 miles from its
destination, and s%upposing it would
reach Downs that evening Enterline
says he went on to Downs himself to
look after it. But the -four did not
4 come. For three days he telephoned
and telegraphed for it, and on March
16 it arrived in Downs In the mean
time Enterline says his mill had to shut
down causing him q loss of $3.50. He
wants to know if he can do anything
about it.
L. A. Lockwood of Niotaze. Chau-
tauqua county, complains to the rail-
road board that the Missouri Pacific has
g. bridge over Lake Creek, Chautauqua
county, so low and so narrow, and with
so much piling in it that it obstructs
the flow of food waters and every time
there is a heavy rain the water backs
up and overfows the N o the
bridge. Mr.. Lockwood ask that the
board instruct the railroad company to
enlarge the bridge.
The Kansas City Belt line is con-
structing a new line on the outskirts of
Kansas City in Kansas and it wishes
to cross the tracks of the Kansas City
Southern. The latter road is resisting,
and the Belt line has made a formal
application to the Kansas railroad com
missioners to adjust the matter.
The shortest line from Kansas City
to st. Louis is the Wabash. Best
rains day and night. Ask your local
agent for tickets via the Wabash.
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