The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-07-09
Leave Horace in Mr.. Richards
Special Train.
SEE ABOUT THE TRACK
Mr.. Sheppard Is ThOughtfulIy
Left at Home.
But Mr.. Johnson Represents the
Labor Unions.

The question whether the state
board of railroad commissioners is
! travelling over the Missouri Pacific
lines in a special train as the guests
of the railroad or not promises to be-
come an issue in the next political
campaign.
When several United States judges
travelled about the country in the pri-
vate car of a prominent Santa Fe Off
cial, ii produced a scandal of national
dimensions.
1t may be that the action of the
state railroad commissioners in accept
, ing the offer of Missouri Pacific off,
Gals of a special train will have a sim
liar effect in Kansas politics.
OF course the railroad commission
ers insist that they are not accepting
any favors from the Missouri Pacific.
They say that the law gives them
as right, not as privilege. How
ever, there is some doubt about that.
The only section of the law which
speaks of free transportation of the
in section 3, chapter $40, laws of 1905.
Section says:
ANY member of said board. while
acting in the performance of his Off
right of passing at all times over all
the roads and on all the railroad
trains or any part thereof. in this state.
free of charge
The law also gives to the board the
right to adopt rules to regulate the
mode and manner of all Investigations.
Under these two provisions, the
board insists that it has the right to
order out special train for it's accom-
mediation on any road in the state.
However, in the present instance,
no ordering OUT was necessary. The
attorney for the Missouri Pacific, j. H.
Richards. rendered to the board free
of charge, the use of a special car and
locomotive Mr.. Richards. declared.
however, with considerable vehe-
mence. that he wouldn't take Jake
Sheppard, the secretary of the Nation
al Trackmen's union. on this special
train. He said it is claimed that if
Sheppard went he would have to pay
his fare and ride like an ordinary pas
senger.
1t is possible that this difficulty was
what the board of railroad commits
sioners was thrashing out with Mr..
Richards at the somewhat celebrated
secret meeting didn't take
place, according to the official state
ment of the board.
However that may be. the board
members announced that they had
decided they did not need Mr.. Shep-
pard in their party. Mr.. Richards
may have had nothing to do with this
decision; possibly he told them, Off
cially, that they could invite whoever
they pleased. But that may have been
after the board decided not to take
Sheppard.
Having gotten everything straighten-
ed out with Mr.. Richards at the secret
m eeting-wkich didn't take place-the
board proceeded to issue its order to
Mr. Richards to place at the disposal
of the board an engine and car. And
in accordance with this order" the
board members assembled this morning
at the little town of Horace, ten miles
from the Colorado line on the Missouri
Pacific, where they were picked up by
their special train. They are now
steaming back across the Kansas prai-
ries inspecting the track as they come.
The railroad commissioners think they
can make a thorough inspection of the
track by this method. Perhaps they
can. But IT is noticeable that when
division superintendent of a railroad
wants to inspect track. he doesn't go
in his private car. He gets on motor
car or a handcar. and gets close down