The Topeka state journal., 1906-03-02
MAYTAkE BACK
Railroad Attorneys Talk of
Changing Their Minds.
Maximum Oil Rate Law May Not
Be Attacked.
SMITHS STATEMENT.
VIII Ask Next Legislature to
Amend the Law.
Talk of Helping Stubbs' Cam
paign for Senator.
MITH'S STATEMENT

It begins to look as though the rail-
roads had come to the conclusion that
their action in deciding to ignore the
maximum freight rate was too radical,
and they are showing signs of crawl
ing back into the storm cellar. Judge
w R. Smith, general attorney for the
Santa Fe. gave out this statement
Thursday night:
1T was stated yesterday that the
freight traffic officials of six railroads,
including the Santa Fe, met in Kansas
City on Wednesday and agreed on a
new schedule of rates on oil within the
state Of Kansas, ignoring the rates pro
muIgated by the last legislature, fixing
maximum charges for the carriage of
oil and oil products. This statement is
incorrect. At every meeting Of freight
traffic men interested in Kansas rail-
roads the low rates on refined oil fixed
by the legislature is discussed and its
unfairness considered. I do not be-
heve that another legislature would in.
sist on the roads carrying such a com
modify at rate which it can he
demonstrated does not reimburse the
carrier for the bare cost of loading and
unloading the freight. So far as the
AIchlson, Topeka & Santa Fe railway
Is concerned, it has no intention of
contesdng the rate established bv law
Tor the carriage Of oil, and I believe
lhe legal representatives of the other
roads have the same feeling.
1T is our intention, however. at tba
next session of the legislature to show
that body the coufiscatory nature of oil
rates fixed in 1905, and we believe that
any legislative body possessing a de-
sire to accord a square DEAF IN all IN
dustries In the state viii he eas31T- 80.
vlnced that the railroads ought not fo
De required TO carry oil at a loss
Inc Lalk among the politicians yes
tefday indicated a combined sentiment
OF anazement at the stand of the rail
roads, and certainty that this Dosifion
would centralize the popular oDposI
ton to railroads in the coming cam
paign.
NOne Of the leading Republican state
senators from the western part of the
state who has taken a prominent Darf
III legislation favoring the railroads
said:
Il have always contended that the
railroads devote most of their time TO
securing the country for numbskuIls
to put at the head Of their freight traffic
departments. This action in withdraw
ing the maximum rates is lust a sam
pie of the blatheriEg lunacy of these
OFFICIALS They have done - fool
thing in - fool way at a - fool
time
This thing viii have the effect Of
nominating Stubs for the senate, un-
less something happens to turn the tide
1t looks to me as though it would
knock out Curtis. who has the railroad
support. The politician who has any
connection with the railroads had bet
ter rl-n for cover. I have a notion that
viii send back my railroad passes
but I guess III wait TIL I get back
home. Every politician in the state
will have to own a newspaper in order
to get transportation. look for a rapid
advance in the price of newspap pers.
49,
| legislature will enact the anti-pass law,
and the 2-cent fare law. There's no
question about il. You just wait for
the Republican state convent n. 1t
will out-POp any Pop convention that
was ever held. And it's all on account
Of the fool break of the freight rate ex-
perts that the railroads employ
stubbs Is Not Slow.
Mr. W. R. Stubs is not a bit slow to
take advantage of this opportunity to
make senatorial hay. He gave the
] Lawrence newspaper correspondents q
long interview yesterday. which was
wired to everybody who would take it.
In K Mr.. Stubbs summarily ends the
candidacy of Curtis with this ulti-
matum:
''The action Of the railroads makes
I impossible the election of a railroad
+ United States senator from Kansas or
( the election of any man ever supposed
! to be friendly to the railroads The
railroads have forced US to the ques-
ton as to whether they have rights
/ which the people are not bound to re-
/ spect There is no question as to what
/ the answer of Kansas viii be. Kansas
4 has answered every challenge and Kan
saS viii answer this one, and when the
returns are in the railroads viii be
! badly beaten.
''The action Of the railroads is a di-
erct slap in the face to every citizen OF
Kansas and Kansas viii rebuke their
I in nd Kansas as
+ always -rebuked insolence and arro-
gance. The railroads will get fight.
They viii find out that the state Of
4 Kansas is bigger than any of its crea-
lures. They will get a maximum
freight rate law on all the products of
Kansas and 1t Will be a law that will
'aThe fight is clearly between the
people and the railroads. Every can
didate for Office in Kansas this year viii
be required to tell whether he is for
the railroads or the people. No second
choices viii be allowed in this contest
Brings Bristow to the Front.
Not only will the action of the rail-
roads work to the disadvantage of
j Curtis, but it viii tend to help J, L.
Bristow, of Salina, who is really the
+ strongest of the anu-railrOad candi-
dates. Bristow is in Washington just
now. testffying in one of the postal
fraud cases. The washington Post
/ contains this interview with Bristow
on the subject of his senatorial can
/ didacy:
yes, I am in the race, along with
Representative Campbell and Curtis
| and Mr.. Stubbs speaker of our legis-
I lature, but it would not be right to
ask a candidate TO discuss his own
4 prospects Naturally. a man hears
only the bright side of the question,
for his friends bring him only news
that is favora Bile. without wishing TO
! appear imm odest however, I may say
/ that 7 think my chances of success
/ srA a-r1n1Iby7F rHE,e--c fe eA,-