The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-09-21
UP TO THE BOARD.
Continued from Page one,

I
more foreibly by the admissions of the
railroad companies own witnesses than
~ any testimony produced by the state
MI Lincoln was put through stiff
cross examination by Carr Taylor con-
cernihg the establishment of the Mis-
| passing purposes.
Al nrst Mr.. Lincoln denied absolute
y tnat the Missouri river was an arbi-
slory Hne. He said it had been fixed
ny the irresistible. demands of trade.
Inen If the vice president of your
system said Mr.. Taylor, testified be-
lore the railroad committee of the SEN
ate on the Esch-Townsend bill hearing
tnat the Missouri river boundary is an
hep
Mr.. Lincoln
isn't it generally admitted by rail-
road men that it is an arbitrary line ?"
1T is not"
Haven't you yourself been recently
called in conference with other railroad
men to talk over the abandonment of
this line?"
No, sir. not so far as I reeollect.'
Haven't you discussed it at alp
oh. suppose have discussed it. It
is really an arbitrary line, but it is not
an artificial line
]. H. Richards. of Fort Scott, at
torney for the Missouri Pacific, asked
the witness:
IF the railroads wanted to change
the present arrangement of the Mis-
souri, river as basing point. is it
within their power?"
81 think not" said Mr.. Lincoln.
Helm Opens Argument.
The testimony of H. H. Embry, I. N.
Hockaday, Cyrus Anderson and E. G.
Sinner was taken on unimportant
points, and the argument was opened
by A. E. Helm. for the petitioners.
Nj I'll.
had no right to establish parity of
rates; that it was their duty to sus-
tain the demurrer to the interplea, and
simply take up the questions involved
originally in the suit-whether or not
the rates to interior jobbing points
from the Missouri river are reason
able. He said that the claim that the
board has no authority to change the
rate for the reason that it is an in
terstate commerce proposition was
change the rate as prayed for, it might
as we'll go out of business
And so might every other state
board in the country" he added. and
want to say that this would be the
very worst thing for the railroads that
could happen. for in that case Teddy
Roosevelt and the United States con-
gresS would be the final tribunal How
would you railroad men like to go up
against that combination ~
jobbers had proved that the Missouri
river jobbers are given absolute con-
troll of all the Kansas territory east
of the interior jobbing points. and
either equal or better facilities for
reaching the territory west of these
points He asked that the interior
jobbers be protected from the Mis-
souri, river jobbers in the same way
that the Missouri river jobbers are
protected from ST. Louis.
Iii an - no
of the Missouri river jobbers, said that
the existing conditions give all fair
show for the trade in western Kan
sas- He said that any differential to
shut the Missouri river jobbers out of
western Kansas would result in a
combine between the jobbers at WITCH
tia. Salina and Hutchinson to increase
their profits to the full amount of the
ciifferential. - 1.-THE consumers, he
said would get no benefit from the
decrease i'm rates 1t would all go to
swell the profits of the interior job
bers''
Railroad Men Don't Talk
When Mr. Atwood finished speaking
it was about $40, and it was ques-
ton whether the board would adjourn
over to Thursday to hear the rest Or
the speeches. n. H. Loomis of the
Union Pacific. j. H. Richards of the
Missouri Pacific, and w. r. Smith of
the Santa Fe all desired to say some
thing on the case, but there was
strong counter desire the part of
the railroad men to finish the hearing
and get away. 1t was therefore agreed
that the railroad attorneys should
waive all their speeches. and that S.
B. Amidon should also forego his on
behalf of the interior jobbers. Carr
Taylor, attorney for the board, then
closed the case He especially empha-
sized the fact that the board has only
to consider the equity of the rates to
the interior jobbing points; that if
there is then a question as to the
parity of distributing rates from the