The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-04-03
WHAT CALDERHEAD SAID.

The congressman who is supposed to
represent the Fifth Kansas district in
Washington frequently complains that
he is nisquoted by the newspapers.
Whenever he has found himself in a
tight box he has said that the news
papers put things into his mouth that
he did not say.
No reputable newspaper wiIfully and
Intentionally misquotes anyone. 1t
sometimes happens that in hurriedly re-
porting an interview or an extempor-
aneous speech mistakes are made by
reporters, but as a rule such reports are
substantially correct.
In order that Congressman Calder
heads exact views MY be known, how
ever. the State Journal gives herewith
what he said concerning rate regula-
ton at Junction City recently, as given
by the Marshall County News, his
home newspaper. The News says the
manuscript was approved by Mr.. Cal
derhead, SO he cannot go back on It.
This speech is substantially what Mr..
Calderhead has been charged with say
ing heretofore. He holds that the peo-
pie can do almost anything else to
railroad except say what shall be a fair
rate for transportation. That, Mr. Cal
derhead holds, is none of the peoples
business. The railroads have a right
70 cha~ge whatever rate they please
he says.
THE railroads of this country do not
belong to the government They are
the property OF private citizens who
have furnished their own money for
the stocks and bonds OF the corpora
lions who have built and equipped
them with cars. The railroads are pri-
vate property engaged in public SER
vice as common carriers. Because they
are common carriers engaged In this
public service they are subject to the
control of all the law which we choose
to impose on common carriers. We may
say by law that they must have three
engineers on every engine, and three
conductors on every train, and brake
men on every car. We may say how
many people may ride in each car and
what size each car must be, and we
may say how many head of horses, or
cattle or hogs may be in one car, or
how many pounds of freight may be
IN one car. We may say how many
tracks, and what weight of rails and
even how many ties shall be in each
yard of track. We may say where they
must have station houses to receive
freight and where they must have
freight houses to deliver freight We
may require them to receive freight
from every shipper, and keep it safely
until it is loaded, and carry it safely
to it's destination and keep it safely till
it is delivered to the consignee. We
may require them to charge the same
rate for the same service to all men,
and to treat all shippers equally. And
we may require that all charges for
service shall be equal to all men and
shall be reasonable and not extortion-
ate or unjust. And that there shall be
no rebates or secret favors to any per-
son, and no discrimination in favor of
any man or corporation and no unjust
discrimination in favor of or against
any community or locality. But now
we are asked to go a step farther and
authorize a commission to make a rate
Remember now, that the roads are
private property and the income is due
to the private owners. and the power
to make rate IS the power to say what
the income on this property shall be.
Now no man would run his farm a
week II any commission of seven men
at Washington or five men at Topeka
had the power to fix the price of the
products Of that farm. No man would
keep store a week IL any seven men at
Washington or five men at Topeka had
the power to fix the price at which you
should sell goods which you had bought
with your own money. But their serv-
ice is the only thing these railroads
have to sell. Tt is their only crop
their only source of income. And If
they cannot sell this service their cars
and tracks and station houses might
as well be thrown into the scrap pile.
The only reason we have power Of con-
trolling them is that they are common