The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-06-12
THEY WILL WAIT.
Railroad Board in No Hurry to
Secure Valuations.
Would Like to Know Results of
Other Investigations.
ARE SHORT OF MONEY.
Provisions Made by the Legis-
lature Inadequate.
Supposed That Scope of Work
Would Be Large.

1t has been decided by the state
board of railraod commissioners to
postpone the work of ascertaining the
value of the railroads of Kansas until
the interstate commerce commission
completes and publishes the result of
its Investigations on the same subject.
The interstate commerce commission
has been working on this proposition
for some time, and its report is expect
ed within short time.
One of the new railroad laws enact
ed at the last session of the legislature
contained the following provision:
THE commissioners shall ascertain
as early as practicable the amount of
money expended in construction and
equipment per mile of every railroad
in Kansas, the amount of money 1t
would require to reconstruct the road
bed, track, depots and transportation n
facilities, and to replace all of the
physical properties belonging to the
railroads. For the purpose named the
commissioners may employ experts
sworn to inspect and assist them when
needed and from time to time, as the
is obtained they shall communicate
the same to the attorney for the board,
and the attorney general by report"
The railroad commissioners say thai
the appropriation made by the leg1s-
lature for this work is entirely made
quate. One of the commissioners, in
speaking of the situation said:
1T was the intention of some of the
members of the legislature to have Il
very large appropriation made for this
purpose but the appropriation was not
made. We will have to depend largely
upon the railroads for our information
The law gives us authority to call upon
the railroads for information on all the
matters touching the value of their
property, and by using this means, We
will be able to arrive at the railroads
own estimate of their value.
''At the present time, however, We are
waiting to find out what the interstate
commerce commission will report on the
value of the railroads. When we know
what that commission has accomplished,
we. will set to work, and try to fill in
and supplement- that report wherever
possible"
The state law gives the railroad COM
missioners the right to call on the rail-
roads for information in the following
words:
ITO enable said commissioners tomake
such reports, the president or managing
officer of each railroad or transporta-
ton company doing business in the
state shall annually make to the said
board of railroad commissioners, on the
18th day of September of each year,
such returns, in the form they may
prescribe as Will afford the tnforma-
ton required for their said official re-
port Such returns shall be verified by
any corporation herein named whose re-
turns shall not be made as herein pre-
scribed by the 18th day of September
shall be liable to penalty Of $500 for
each and every day after the 18th day
of September that such returns shall
be wilfully delayed or refused"
The law goes on to say that the
railroads must give Information as 10
the value and operation of their prop
erty.
one of the things required of the
commissioners in their report lis the
actual cost and present cash value
of road and equipment, including per-
manent way, buildings and rolling
stock, all real estate and other prop
erty owned by the road, including
lands granted in aid of it's construc-
ton.
There seems to be plenty of law for
the railroad commissioners to back up
their demand for a full statement of
the value of Kansas railroads, as de-
termined by the railroads themselves.