The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-01-24
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Board of Observation-Disclosures
Replies to Taylor.
]. W. Robson Says He Doesn't
Treat Board COurteOusly.
TOOK HIS FURNITURE.
Moved to a Room That Was Not
Accessible.
Board Appointed Mr.. Helm as
Rebuke to Taylor.
TOOK HIS FURNITURE
Mr.. Robson Charges Attorney
With Irregularities.

War between Carr Taylor and the
state board of railroad commissioners,
which has long been threatened, was
officially declared today in a long state
ment given out for publication by J.
w. Robson, of El Dorado, one of the
members of the board.
Mr Robson declares that Mr.. Taylor
does not have the ability, without as
sistance- from the outside, to win a case
before the board. 1t is scathing de-
nunciation, and coming from the one
member of the board who is supposed
to represent" the shippers of the state,
It will no doubt have weight in politics.
AS a token that it has no confidence
IN Mr.. Taylor, the board yesterday af-
ternOon elected A. r. Helm of Wichita.
10 succeed J. S. Dean as special attOr-
ney representing the board in the cases
hled in the federal courts to test the
orders of the board. Mr. Helms in
structions are such that he is practically
the only attorney whom the board will
recognize as representing it in the pend
ing litigation. 1t is notice to the public
that the board wants nothing to do with
Mr.. Taylor.
Mr.. Deans withdrawal is due to the
Iact that he has secured a position as
attorney for the trustees of the DeVlin
estate. He felt that this gave him all
the work he would be able to handle.
A. z. Helm has assisted Carr r. vIor,
]
ton OF several of the important rate
cases which have been before the board
recently. He is thoroughly posted in
the question of railroad rates, and will
be an efficient man to handle the litiga-
! t1on which has been brought by the
railroads for the purpose of driving the
I board out of existence.
! Mr.. Taylor says that he has h~~-- in
favor of the anDointment of Mr.. Helm
1 for this work from the outset. But it
I is evident that Mr.. Taylor considers
1 himself to be one Of the attorneys rep
resenting the board in the case.
}. w Robison's Statement.
Mr.. Robson was until the first Of
this year, chairman of the board Of rail-
road commissioners. He said:
4 have no desire to seek notOriety and
no morbid mania to see my name in
print, but the attitude of Mr.. Carr Tay-
lor toward the board and persistency
| with which he has aired his pretended
/ grievances through the press, makes it
/ almost imperative that a plain state
4 ment of the facts in regard to the re-
lations of Mr.. Taylor and the board be
given out
when Mr.. Taylor was appointed to
his present position he was given the
most courteous treatment possible on
the part of all members of the board.
1 gave him my private room, including
my desk and all furniture, it being the
most convenient for his use, and a
most admirable location for his pur-
DOSGS- ne room was ulL6Q up Will
book cases and such of our library as
was needed by him was installed
therein; the telephones of the Office
were within a half dozen steps from
his desk; he had handy access to the
files of the Office and the Office force
of the board, together with its tariffs
land rate sheets. During the prepara-
ton Of the comparative freight rate
report required by the legislature OF
the board under the Stone resolution,
Mr.. Sinner, the stenographer of the
board having charge of that work, was
necessarily busy and the board, in or
der not to hamper Mr.. Taylor in the
least, hired Miss Grace Rawson, for
merIy in the employ of Mr.. Taylor al
/ Hutchinson, to serve him during the
time of the preparation of this report
and while our Stenographer could not
do his work, paying her out of the
contingent fund under the excuse that
she was employed for the purpose OF
assisting in the compilation of the re-
port The report being finished and
the boards stenographer having time
and being willing to aSsist<Mr. Taylor
in his work, there was no longer q
reason for the continuance of the en-
pIoyment of Miss Rawson and no sub
terfuge under which to pay her out OF
the contingent fund of the board and
it so stated to Mr.. Taylor and Miss
RawsOn.
Took RObison's Furniture.
''Some time after this. with no ap-
/
and desire to emphasize his independ-
ence of and disregard for the board
| Mr. TAYLOR moved his effects anC
stenogra pher to remote part of the
building, incidentally taking the fur.
niture from my Office and the library
of the board, leaving the room in {
condition useless to me as a private of.
fee and rendering himself inaccessi
Bile to the files and phones of the Of
fee and the Office force of the board
"Coincident with the removal of Mr.
Taylor from the Office of the board be
gan the studied and insidious attemp
Z on his part to pose as a martyr and
= the man of the hour especially created
= to lead the populace out of the dOml
nation of the mighty octupus, tht
! railroads and to give the impression
: that the board and its officers ar
leagued against him in the struggle
, Everyone who has watched the paper
cannot but remember the regularit.
: with which Mr.. Taylor was getting
1 | himself interviewed by every repOrte
4 who would talk to him, deemings tn
day lost when his name did not occup.
a conspicuous place in the headline
of some daily paper.
, Crificises TayiOr's Ability.
"In line with these four hushe
< ideas Mr.. Taylor has very persistentl
: tried all of his rate cases in the paper
= and in no case which Mr.. Taylor ha
: handled alone has sufficient evidenc
I been introduced to warrant orders 70
? reductions of existing freight rates
e and were it not for the fact that IN
tariff files of the Office have been at a.
times considered in evidence, the boar
would have been unable to give tn
= complainants a decision for rate re
= ductions in every rate case which h
!; has preseEted, as It has done IA
board realizing the importance