The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-04-05
Efforts Being Made to StoI
Railway Agitation.
Campaign Gets Jolt From Ma
tfOnal Petroleum Assn.
INFORMS COMMISSION.
Organization Not in Sympathy
With Roads Plan.
Other Items OF Interest to
Railway People.

washington April s5.-That an or
canned EFFORT Is being made to stop
the movement against the railroads by
one national and state governments is
Interstate commerce Commission.
campaigns are being conducted by
puDnelty bureaus, the most active be-
ing the railroad exchange, of Chicago,
aie many OF the communications sent
out through these agencies finally find
their way to the commissioners
one OF the communications, a circular
letter to the National Petroleum asso-
been sent to the commission. 1t is
headed, An Appeal to the American
Remain Sop
The National Petroleum association
is the recognized body Of independent
Oil producers and refiners, as opposed
to the Standard Oil company.
The appeal consists Of about 500
words OF closely printed matter. 1t re-
cites all the recent moves that have
been made by the national and state
governments. against the present sys-
tenn OF management of the railroads,
and explains some of the results and
The appeal states that, in addition
to the investigation of railroads car
rfed on by the national government,
there have been more than 400 bills, all
classed as antirailroad legislation. in
troduced in the several state legisla-
lures.
The petition further points out that
the railroads, in view Of these moves
against them, are already curtailing
expenses ard stopping work along the
line. One of them has stopped work
on the construction of 700 miles of ad-
ditional track. Another has curtailed
its annual expenditures of $4,000, 900,
and has besides this stopped work on
400 miles Of additional track.
The circular states that the railroads
generally are curtailing expenditures
all along the line, and that none of
coming year. It refers also to the
panic period from 1893 to 1897, and
threatens that if the present campaign
against the railroads is kept up the
country will be driven into similar
period of depression.
The appeal is accompanied by a let
ter formulated by a meeting of rail-
road men at the Union League club in
Chicago on March 8, and Is being sent
out to business firms and associates all
over the country with letter saying
that after the appeal has been signed
by q sufficient number of representa-
tive firms and persons, it will be sent
to the president given the widest
possible publicity through the press
There are spaces at the bottom for
the name and address of the firm or
Individual signing the petition and the
number of persons, he employs. A foot
note requests that the appeal be signed
at once and returned to H. K Gilbert,
Railroad Exchange, Chicago. "Addi-
tional copies will be sent on applica-
ton"
The National Petroleum association, |
in transmitting this document to the |
interstate commerce commission, says: |
I'VE inclose you papers which seem
to point to an organized effort on the |
part of the railroad companies to voice |
their opposition to the efforts Of the |
president, especially through the inter- |
state commerce commission, to uncover |
The monumental, unlawful and i'm
moral methods of which the railroads
nave been guilty in the past"
The communication of the Petroleum
goes on to say that its mem
oers do not know what the organization
out thu appeal is, but they con-
slider its efforts very ill-timed, and
calculated only to further increase the
heat of the just wrath OF the people
against the railroads and the methods
hey have heretofore employed"
Any appearance Of spontantety that
his appeal might have had is rather
poiled by the premature publicity that
las been given to 1t, and the people
Who were engineering the appeal might
lave realized that If there was any
way of haucicapping it that way would
lave been found by cutting the papers
n the hands of the National Petroleum
a body that, perhaps, has
uttered more than any other body Of
business men through the manipulation
4 the railroads by the Standard Oil