The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-09-24
Railroads Agree TO Put in Two
Cent Fare.
Notice Given That Order Will
Be Tested.
NO SPECIAL SESSION.
This Will Put an End to the
Talk.
Kansas Railroad Men Favored
Compliance From Start.
o SPECIAL SESSION.

At $40 this afternoon. y H. Loom
is. attorney for the Union Pacific, ap-
peared before the state board of rail-
road commissioners and filed the for
maj notification of the acceptance Of
the 2-cenr passenger fare order for
Kansas under protest
The notice also conveys the fnfOr-
nation that the railroad companies
VIII file suits TO test the reasonable
ness OF the rate
The notice is a : follows:
The Undersigned railroad companies
announce that they propose TO put into
effect under protest. on the 5th day of
October. 1907. and 10 maintain the same
pending litigation the cwO-cent pas
senger rate as recently ordered by you.
and prior 10 putting the same into ef-
feet propose 70 file suits in the courts
challenging the said rate
Union Pacific: Leavenworth Kansas
& Western, Topeka Northwestern.
Santa Fe. LeaveuwOrth & Topeka Ry-;
Frisco. Rock Island: Katy"
The order Is signed by the attor-
neys for the following railroad COM
panies doing business in Kansas;
Union Pacific. LeaveuwOrth. Topeka
& Western. Topeka Northwestern.
santa Fe- LeavenwOrth & Topeka.
Frisco. Rock Island. Missouri Kansas
& Texas, s. Joseph & Grand Island.
Chicago, Burlington & Quincy. Orient.
kansas Southern. Missouri Pacific
action taken by the railroad companies
We propose to file suit prior TO Oc-
n robsr l. and am not prepared to state
~ what cOart they will be fled but
&eir object viii be TO test the reason
ablenesS Of the rate OF cents a mile as
applied 10 traffic in Kansas. We do not
propose to test the right OF the board to
make the order. but we want to test the
reasonableness Of the rate
VIII these suits be based on the
order of the hoard -
Well I suppose so, but the object
Is not 20 test the right OF the board TO
make the order. but TO test the rea-
soma bieueSS of the rate There Is
nothing vfzdicrtve about this action.
Y Is simply to place the case here in /
kansas in the same position it is in
other states. Pending the hearing OF
these cases. the people OF Kansas will I
get the benefit OF the cent rate
Attorney eueraI F s Jackson was not
present when the notice was fled On
being Informed Of the action. and the
purpose Of the companies 20 dIe suits |
he said.
Il don't see what the roads VIII ac-
coruplish by fighting the order OF the /
board Il didn't have anything 10 say |
about the reasonab bleness OF this rate. |
That was not the issue. The board or !
dered the rate in as an emergency meas !
ure, without regard 10 the reasona ble- |
hess Of , cents a mile Suppose the !
state should simply allow the railroads /
would they accomplish
Chicago. Sept 24--At an all day
conference here Monday between /
presidents OF the Kansas raiIroa ds /
and tEetr general counsel It was de-
cfded 20 put the two cent rate into ef- /
feet in Kansas as ordered by the com I
n ntssion OF that state recently. provid- /
ed 1t can be done and still preserve /
the right Of the roads 10 contest in the /
courts When the commissions order /
was promulgated the railroad presi- /
dents declared they would not comply
but would permit October 4. the date
fixed by the commission for the new
rates TO go into effect. to pass unno-
uced-
This action on the part Of the rail-
road companies Is not unexpected.
For some time the politicians Of the
state have been predicting that the
railroad com mpanies were 'bluffng"
and that they would never dare TO al
low Governor Hoch to call special
session Of the legislature
Had a special session been called
the railroads would have not only had I
e 2-ceut fare law. but it was quite Ger
tain that a primary election law. some
maximum freight rate legislation, a
few amendments to the antitrust
laws a patch or two on the taxation
law, and possibly some minor laws OBJ
fectionable TO the railroads. would be
but on the statute books.
II vas almost unbelievable to the
politicians that the railroad companies
would voluntarily draw the fire of
public opinion by forcing Governor
Eoch 10 call a special session at this
Cme-
As a matter Of fact the Kansas at
torueys and Kansas officials of the
railroads have been in favor Of the >
cent fare idea eyer since the board or
railroad commissioners issued the or
der requiring that the rate be put in.
But when they went 10 Chicago to
talk the thing over in a grand pow
WOW OF the big officials they were
met with stubborn opposition The
leading brass collars could see moth
ing in the 2-ceut fare for Kansas ex-
cept another step toward national p
cent fares They felt that Kansas. il
II could be held in line. would block
the spread OF the 2-cent fare system
into Oklahoma and Texas. and the
santa Ee. largely interested in this
territory, was most fnsistent upon
staudinE pat L was doubtless the
Influence Of the eastern uaRuates
that caused the railroads at their first
meeting 70 turn down the 2-cent fare
proposition These fnanciers who /
seem TO dictate the policy of Kansas ,
roads. were entirely out OF touch with
the Kansas situation. and would not
be guided by the advice OF their Kan
Eas Iieutenants who better understood
the situation
The attitude OF the railroads now ,
clearly indicates that thev have lost
felt that they could no longer through |
this ir0n-clad organiza ton, withstand
the demands OF the public. The Har-
riTnan crowd was apparently perSuad-
ed by the iusisteuce of the Kansas
railroad officials that it would be un- !