The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-06-08
Want The FACTS
Railroad Board Applies to Roads
For Figures.
Must Give Information About
Rates Charged.
NOT SLOW TO COMPLY.
Officials Show Disposition to
Comply With Request.
Would Give Board Mass of Com
paratiYe Information.
VOT SLOW TO COMPLY.

Emulating Admiral Togo, the Kansas
state board of railroad commissioners
is planning to take from the railroad
companies the weapons with which to
do its fighting. The railroad commits
sioners want information about rates;
vast quantities of information; suffi-
cient to comply with the terms of the
Stone resolution passed by the last leg
islature, and the board has called upon
the railroads themselves to do the work
of compiling this information
OF course the board could not compel
the railroads to do this If it came to a
show down, the commissioners would
have to go to the trouble of summoning
railroad officials, putting them through
a sweating process, and compelling them
to hunt up their tariff sheets and give
the information desired. It is the fact
that the railroad commissioners possess
this powerful club that makes the rail-
roads willing to go to the trouble of
filling out the tabulated forms which
have been prepared by the railroad
commissioners, and thus avoid a hostile
encounter with the board. It is a case
where the coon is willing to come down
out of ths tree without any shooting.
J. r. Koontz. general freight agent of
the Santa F'e, has assured the board of
commissioners that he will set his tariff
49,
information desired.
M. A. Low. general attorney for the
Rock Island, says in letter to the
| board:
Replying to your letter requesting
this company TO furnish a tabulated
comparative statement of freight rates
| for the purpose of making a comparison
under the resolution passed by the last
| legislature, beg to say that this com
pany will at once have the statement
/ a, to
same to the board of railroad commits
| sioners by the first day of July"
N. H. LOOMS of the Union Pacific
makes this reply in letter to the
| board:
Yours asking to have information
required by the Stone resolution in
your hands by July 1 received and
! forwarded to Mr.. Munroe, our freight
traffic manager, with request that he
Frank Doster, attorney for the Mis-
souri, Pacific, says:
Il beg to state that your letter of
previous date with the partial schedule
of rates compiled by the board, was at
with a request for the additional in
| formation. The traffic department will
no doubt compile it and furnish it to
| you as soon as possible. should
/ think that it could be done by the
| time desired, to wit July IL
C. w Holdredge,e general manager
of the Burlington, is the only one who
| seems to be hesitating in regard to
what he better do. He says:
| ct have received your letter in re-
gard to reports, tariffs, etc, wanted
from this company under the recent
act of the Kansas legislature. The
matter is being considered and a
definite reply will be sent you as soon
as possible"
VIII Save Much Work.
It will save the board of railroad
commissioners large amount OF
work, and considerable money to have
the tabulated statements filed out by
the rate experts in the employ of the
railroads. For some time the board
has been thinking seriously of employ
ing a rate expert of their own to do the
work. 1t even went so far that q
freight rate man named E. r. Lane
from Fort Scott came to Topeka and
applied for the job. Then it occurred
to the members of the board thai
possibly the railroads would be willing
to get together the information them
selves rather than have the board dig
it out of them. The proposition was
submitted informally to several rail
road men, and as they approved, the
tables were prepared to comply with
the terms of the Stone resolution, and
have been sent out to all the railroads
doing business in the state.
When Robert Stone, Of Topeka, the