The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-02-07
VOICE OF PROTEST
Commercial Club Will Discuss
Santa Fe Changes.
Topeka Doesn't Want to Lose
Proposed Trains.
HUNTING THE FIGURES
Will Show Excess in Population
Oh Topeka Route.
w. j. Black, Traffic Manager.
Confirms the Rumors.

| Inc Topeka Commercial club will in
tervene in the matter of the proposed
routing of passenger trains over tht
Ottawa cutoff instead of via the mar
line of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa
F'e railroad via Topeka.
/ Major T. J. Anderson, secretary of the
/ Commercial club, has wired Senate.
| charles E. Curtis al Washington in re.
/ gard to the matter in an effort to Sc
cure a stipulation as to the route which
shall be used for the fast mail, in re-
newing the contract between the gov
eminent and the Santa Fe railroad. the
| appropriation for which is now pending
| We may not be able to bring in
huence to bear upon the railroad that
| Will prevent the new routing of all six
| of the trains which it is announced will
be run via Ottawa instead of via To-
| peka, said Major Anderson today
| out perhaps we can make it appea.
| that part of these trains should be left
uleS.
I'VE realize,' he continued, that all
the roads are racing to cut the time OF
| transcontinentaI trains down to the
| very minimum The Union Pacific by
| its cutoff from Topeka to Marysville
| will save three hours on the time OF
the schedules of transcontinental
trains. The Rock Island a few years
ago shortened the route to lower Cali
fornia and was successful in securing a
division of the United States mails
from Chicago and Kansas City to the
coast, which business had prior to that
time been enjoyed exclusively by the
Santa Fe.
Consequently, 1 am not surprised to
see the Santa, F'e making every effort
possible to shorten the running time
of their tranSeontinental trains in every
way possible.
But while all this is taken into con-
Sideration, there are also other things
to be considered. The large population
along the main line via Topeka, aggre-
eating over $4,000 more than the pop
ulation of the towns along the cutoff,
should have some weight. The greater
population should have the best SER
vice. If these through trains are rout-
ed over the cutoff it will mean that
Topeka will have to be contented with
stub trains. We may not be successful
in influencing the Santa Fe officials in
this manner, but we will have to put
forth every effort possible to keep
them. Ak
Especially in the matter of the fast
mail train, we should be persistent
This train is primarily of benefit to
Kansas City, and while it is of benefit
to that point it in a measure helps To-
peka at the same time. But if it was
routed via Ottawa. it is still of the
same great benefit to Kansas City but
is of no value to Topeka, the first city
of the state of Kansas" ~
The fast mail is run for the benefit of
Kansas City newspapers and never was
of special benefit to Topeka.
Major Anderson will call meeting of
the trade extension committee of the
Commercial club for today or tomorrow
and will present the matter to the COM
mittee for further consideration and ae-
ton.
This committee will probably ask for
a conference with the officials of the
Santa Fe. This may be arranged al
though ]. E. Hurley, general manager,
is out of the city at present in attend
ance upon meeting of representatives
of the railway trainmen who are in
conference at Chicago with general
managers of all the western lines with
respect to wage increase. w. ]. Black,
passenger traffic manager of the Santa
Fe is in Topeka this week, and should
Mr.. Hurley return, it is quite likely
that a conference between the Com
mercial club committee and Mr.. Hur-
ley and Mr.. Black could be arranged.
The members of the new trade ex-
tension committee of the Commercial
club are:
E; H. Crosby, chairman; H. A; Auer-
Jonathan Thomas, w. I. Miller. Chas.
F. ADAMS u.s.. W. F. Roehri L B; Rrow n
Bates. Frank Greer, T. ]. Myers, s.
Barnum. w. Dreschel. H. H. Glenn. N.
E. Kellar, Chas. w. Guild, V. B. Kist-
Ter, L. M. Penwell, H. S. Montgomery,
]. K. Jones, ]. H. Atwood, ], H. AL
word and George W. Moffatt.
H. E. Valentine, member Of the
Commercial club, has Prepared a list of
the towns and cities and the population
of each along both lines of the Santa
Fe,s the main line and the cutoff. These
have been put in Major Anderson's
hands, and he will present them to the
trades extension committee well as
to also present them to Senator Curtis
The figures on the population of the
town along the main line follow: