The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-04-05
in The BIG HOUSE
First Rate Discrimination Com
plant Is Filed.
This Comes From Chapman and
Refers to Grain.
THEY WANT A ROOM.
Carr Taylor Must Work With
the Common Herd.
LeavenWOrth Doesn't Want an
Assistant Attorney General.
THEY WANT A ROOM.

Assistant Attorney General.
The first complaint concerning grain
rate Determinations has just come to
the state board of railroad commits
sioners. Poor & Knight. a grain firm
on the Union Pacific mail line at
Chapman, say that the freight rate on
wheat from Chapman to Kansas City
is a cents a hundred pounds. and on
corn and oats is u cents a hundred.
From Aida. just north of Chapman
on the Junction City, Belleville branch
of the Union Pacific, the rate is 121z
cents a hundred on wheat and 1912
cents on corn and oats. This allows
Aida grain buyers to underbid those
at Chapman, and the Chapman firm
asks to have the discrimination cor
rected.
The railroad commissioners cannot
take action on complaints until all of
the freight tariffs are filed. The rail-
road law gives the railroads thirty
days from the taking effect of the law
to Tile their tariffs with the board. The
Missouri, Kansas & Texas has filed
part OF its tariffs, and is the first road
to do so.
When the tariffs have all been re-
ceived and classified and indexed It
viii be a comparatively easy matter
for the attorney for the railroad board
to turn to the filed tariffs when a COM
plant comes in and see if the sched-
ules show the discrimination com
planned of. For instance, in the Chap
man case the filed tariff sheets will
show the rates from both Chapman
and Aida on all classes of freight If
the published tariffs show the dis
elimination it viii be up to the rail-
road board to correct it. for both
towns are almost exactly the same dis
lance from Kansas City and the haul
is over exactly the same lines except
for the first ten miles.
If the published tariffs show no dis
elimination but the same rates for
both places, the compliments will be
asked for information to prove the
rates were charged as set forth in the
complaint which would be violation
of law Then the matter would be
referred to the attorney general for
! prosecution.
]. Leeford Brady. representative from
/ Douglas county, endorses the position
1 of State Auditor Wells in refusing to
! let the oil refinery bonds go through
without being tested in the courts. He
says:
Seth Wells did right in insisting
upon the refinery bonds being declared
! legal before being issued. The Iegis-
/ lature enacted the law in good faith but
/ it is such an important matter that the
upon the transaction It will not cost
much to get a court decision and that
/ is the only way to satisfy all parties
Auditor Wells deserves the thanks of
| the people for his precaution. He has
shown that he will do his duty regard
/ less of the clamor that has been made
/ If the refinery bonds are not legal thew
would cause trouble sooner or later and
! if legal all questions had better be set
/ tied at once. It is a business PROPOSE
/ ton
James E. Pennick. an old soldier of
I Topeka, has been appointed ordinance
| sergeant in the adjutant generals de-
partment.
| Representative Plummer of Jefferson
county is mentioned as a possible can
| didate for state superintendent of public
/ instruction next year.
Railroad Commissioner Robson lives
/ at TOwanda, Butler county The Mis-
! souri, Pacific runs through there but if
! does not stop one of its passenger trains
there. The railroad board has received
a. petition from the business men of
! the place asking that it be compelled to
stop.
/ T. A. McNeal, secretary to the COVER
/ nor, has both Independent and Bell tel
/ ephones on his desk, and it is difficult
! to distinguish between them Mr.. Mo
I wrong
phone, but he generally gets it right the
! second guess.
| The state board of railroad commits
/ sioners wants the executive council to
| provide room for the attorney to the
! board, Carr Taylor. The board now soe-
cupies all of the space on the south side
! of the east wing of the state house on
! the ground floor These rooms were
| used by the supreme court when the
/ state house was made up entirely of the
! east wing. The large east room is used
/ as the secretary's office and for hear
/ lngs A hallway runs west from this off
! from which opens three small
rooms which are used as the private of
/ fees Of the three commissioners. At
the west end of the hall is a larger
/ room which is used as a consultation
room.
State Architect Stanton has recon-
mended that the most feasible plan to
provide an office for Carr Taylor, if it
4 is to be in connection with the other
/ offices of the railroad board. as it
should be, would be to remove the old
| wooden stairway in the east wing lead
/ ing from the ground floor to the main
/ floor. There is no longer any particular
use for this stairway. as only a few feet
/ 70 the west is the iron stairway running
around the elevator shaft The re-
moval of the old stairway will make
sufficient room for another good sized