The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1905-11-27
CLOSE PUBLICITY BUREAU.
Expensive Organization to Combat
RooseveIt's Rate Reform IDEAS.

RooseveIt's Rate Reform Ideas.
CHICAGO, Nov 27.-The epitaph of
the Michaelis and Ellsworth Railroad
publicity bureau has been written.
The edict has gone forth that the main
office in Chicago, and all of the branch
offices throughout the middle west,
shall be closed.
The hundreds OF representatives
VINO have been travelling Industrious
ly over the country Interviewing" the
editors of newspapers. and trying by
one means or another-usually the
other-to spread the propaganda
against President Roosevelt's rate reg
ulation program-all have been ord
cred in, to receive their last pay en-
velopes and to have their elastic ex-
pense accounts checked up.
The order went forth today. the
railroad men are as silent about this
closing order as they have been about
their interest in the bureau during its
existence.
The maintenance of this bureau has
been extremely expensive, the different
roads having been assessed nearly 81
100000 pro rata, to pay it's expenses.
1t is said that the officials and direc-
tors will not be sorry to have this
drain on their resources cease, as
there will be new expenses to be in
CURED in connection with their lobby
at Washington.
The reason for closing the bureau is
that it has proven a failure, an ex-
pensive luxury which has done the
railroad cause incalculable harm, and
scarcely any good.
1t is pointed out that the latest fiasco
of the bureau was the rump conven-
ton in Chicago, which it organized to
nullify as much as possible the inf1u-
ence of the Bacon interstate commerce
law convention.
Instead of helping matters it only
brought into more prominence the
methods which the railroads have been
using in their campaign. 1t is recog~
nized by every railroad president in
the country that in the case of the
rump convention the bureau did
great deal of harm. They were so open
in managing the rump convention that
every one with eyes could see that it
was no more than a railroad scheme.
Another thing which has disguised
the railroad officials with the bureau is
to work in the dark and accomplish
their results and issue their pro-rail-
matter, without disclosing the fact
that they were in any way connected
with the railroads, they have, as
matter of fact managed to get in the
limelight from the first, and several
times their agents have been exposed
for trying to bride.
Exposure of the Bureau.
1t is also said that the cruX of the
matter came recently when a western
paper whose editor had been offered
remuneration if he would print edl-
torially the matter sent out by the bu-
reau, collected considerable evidence
against the person who made the Of
fer, tracing him to his connection with
the railroads and their publicity bu-
reau and using the whole front page
of his paper in making the exposure.
Copies of this paper reached the
| hands Of Mr.. Spencer and the other
railroad presidents and Wall Street
owners and threw them into panic.
Mr.. Spencer at once telegraphed, it is
said, that if they could not get bet
| ter representatives that that in the
field the bureau had better withdraw