The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-04-04
STOP IT ALL
Railroad Board No Longer Gives
Out News.
Apparently Quiet as Grave in
That Office.
WALKER AT MEETING.
WALKER AT MEETING
Only One of the Board Who Is
Present.
Carr Taylor Scarcely on Speak
ing Terms With Members.

on the part of people who read news
papers carefully as to why there has
been such slump IN the amount OF
news about the actions of the state
board of railroad commissioners
Two or three months ago there was
something doing before the board of
railroad commissioners nearly all the
time. Interesting complaints against
the management of railroad COM
panies communications about exces-
sive freight rates and the handling Of
traffic were continually being filed.
and these matters were reported in
the newspapers. There we're also
many important hearings Of testimony
on proposed readjustment of freight
rates.
Now it is all changed. About the
only man who gives out any news
about the railroad affairs is Carr
Taylor, attorney for the board. and as
he is hardly on speaking terms with
the members of the board, his infor-
nation about what the board is doing
is rather meager.
There is a remarkable similarity be-
tween the Kansas state board of rail-
road commissioners and the Standard
Oil company just at the present time.
They are both trying to avoid pup
icity, and are doing as little as posslple
to attract attention.
The thing which has caused the
board of railroad commissioners to
adopt the gum-shoe system Is the ap-
proach of the Republican state con-
vention. George W. Wheatley, OF
Cherokee county, is candidate f0T
denomination, and Walker and Rob
ison. the other members of the board.
are strongly in favor of him. They
are all working together to avoid doing
anything to stir up a delicate sltua-
Tshe irst thing that was done to
avoid unnecessary agitation of the pup
lie mind on freight rate matters was
the 7postponement OF the implement
freight rate case until May 3, SIX Gays
after the Republican convention
But IT was feared that some OF the
naughty newspapers, which have q
habit of printing all the news they can
get would say something about the
which are being received every day
about the railroad conditions through
out the state. It was thought that
such matters might have a disturbing
influence on the public. So the mem
hers of the board gave orders that no
more news of this character should be
given out It used to be the custom
for the secretary Of the board TO place
all such communications on a file,
where they were open to the 1nSpec-
ton of the public The board of rail-
road commissioners rather prided
themselves on this file. They said:
''See how open and above board we
are We turn over all our matters to
the newspapers. and let the public
into our secrets. We love the dear
people and want them to know what
lots of things the board is doing for
the state"
But ali this had to be changed when
the state eenvention approached.
Every day there were letters coming
in from all parts of the state. What
becomes of these communications only
the members OF the board are able to
tell. They never reach the public So
far as the public IS concerned. the
state board of railroad commissioners
has gone into comatose condition,
from which it does not propose to re-
cover until after May 2.
I'VE haven't been treated right by
certain Topeka newspaper" said one
of the members Of the board. THAT
Is the reason we do not allow our let
ters and complaints to become public.
This Topeka paper has given US the
worst of it in number of matters
which were filed here. and we got tired
of being misTepresented. When the
board does anything. its action is en-
tered in the records, and is then open
to the public.
As a matter of fact there would not
be much news IN a communication by
the time it found its way into the rec
ords of the commission It takes the
board a week or more to get around to
any action in a matter, and there is
more delay in getting the matter into
the official record books.
Another One Member Meeting.
There was another meeting of the
board of railroad commissioners Tues
day. This time it was A D. Walkers
turn to be present. and he came down
from Holton and dictated letters for
several hours He was the only mem
Der of the board here. That is getting
to be the custom. Last week it was
Robison's turn, and he came to To-
peka, and dictated the letters. Next
week it is really Mr.. Wheatley's turn
but as Wheatley Is very busy with his
campaign for denomination, he may
send Walker as his substitute Robi-
son has gone to Cuba for a good long
rest from his arduous labors on the
sioner is very exhausting. The mem
bers of the board sometimes have to
spend as much as half a day week in
Topelya debating letters. And for this
trern endous exertion in behalf of the
public, the pay IS only S2,500 a year,
together with free transportation on all
( railroads. telegraph and express
franks. Pullman passes and anything
else that comes handy
The board has secretary and a
stenosrapheT in its employ. The sec
retary gets 81. 500 a year, and has moth
ing to do but open the mail and copy
proceedings INTO a Dig DOok- The stem
ographer has salary of 81, 200, and
could do all his own work and that Of
the secretary of the board into the bar
gain in about two days work a week.
What the state needs Is a board Of
railroad commissioners that will really
attend to business and do something OF
value to the state. The board ought to
have a secretary who is a competent
rate man; a man who can take tariff
sheets, and anaiyzs them with ability
and thorough understandings And what
is more the state should have board