The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-01-18
WHITE WILL WAIT
AbandOns Purpose OF Passing
Maximum Freight Law.
Time of Special Session TOOShOrt
for Its Consideration.
WANTS PENALTY LAW
Would Provide for Enforcement
of Boards Orders.
Representative Kirkland Thinks
State Should Reduce Expenses.

State Should Reduce Expenses.
John T. White Of Ottawa county,
who has been planning to introduce
maximum freight rate law at the
present session of the legislature. for
the purpose of enacting into law all the
freight schedules which have been pre-
pared by the experts employed by the
state railroad commissioners, an
nounced today that he had decided not
to introduce any maximum rate law.
81 have come to the conclusion" ne
said, that it would perhaps be better
not to bring that matter up at the
present short session. Everybody
seems to want to get through quickly,
and instead of enacting maximum
rate schedules, we will try to put
through a law which will provide a
penalty for refusal to obey the orders
of the railroad commission. This PEN
atty will not become effective until the
railroad company has tried the case
out in court, if it desires to do this,
and has been beaten. If the railroad
company wins, it will of course have
no penalty to pay. But we want to
make it so that if a railroad company
appeals from the decision of the COM
mission, it does SO at the risk of a
penalty. This will prevent a railroad
from appealing a case simply for the
purpose of delay, as is now commonly
DONE"
c. B. Kirkland of Saline, chairman
of the house committee on assessment
and taxation. thinks that the taxes for
state purposes are too high in Kansas.
and insists that something must oe
done to bring about a reduction.
When the Kansas farmer gets his
" int fy,I f1,+ =, t.
ing more state tax than before" said
Mr.. Kirkland. ''he isn't at all satisfied
with the way things are going. 1 be-
lieve that the state will have to slow
up on it's expenditures for state pur-
poses. We can't afford to keep on in
creasing appropriations and raising
expenses, or the people-that is the
farmers and common taxpayers, will
rise up and send a legislature down
here that will cut down taxes instead
of raising tn en-
Mr.. Kirkland also has a crow to pick
with the bucket shops of the state.
The greatest curse of Kansas at the
present time" said Mr.. Kirkland, "are
the bucket shops, which are robbing
the people of Kansas of thousands of
dollars every week. In spite of the
state law to the contrary, the bucket
shops are operating right along Out
in Salina, there are bucket ops, and
they are patronized by many people.
OF course the bucket shop is a skin
game-it is SO arranged that the great
majority of people lose their money.
The exception to the rule now and
then is just enough to be bait for
other victims. l have talked with the
attorney general about the enforce
ment of the bucket shop law, and he
says the county attorneys should at
tend to the prosecutions. The county
attorneys seem to hesitate to go into
the fight because they are afraid that
they can not make their cases stick.
mr. a . nd ret hot I,
trouble is, but it seems that the inter-
state nature of the transactions stands
in the way.
ALSO, the bucket shops always
try to be in a position to say that
their deals are legitimate; that they
are prepared to deliver real wheat to
anybody who wants the real wheat.
OF course there are very few calls for
the real wheat: it is simply a cash
gambling transaction. Sometimes a
miller, when he arranged to deliver
a lot of -four at a certain time. will
go to a bucket shop and buy wheat
for future delivery simply to protect
himself, and then he will pick up
wheat as opportunity offers, and be
ready to close out his bucket shop
deal when the time comes.
Il am investigating the matter, and
if I can find any way to strengthen the
law, or to secure its enforcement, I
propose to take the necessary steps"
w. w. fdOSelt, TepreSenldt1V from
Bourbon county, introduced a bill
Friday afternoon which will make the
Missouri Pacific railroad squirm. The
bill is presumed to have The endorse
ment Of J. I. Sheppard, secretary of
the Trackmens union.
The bill requires every railroad to
divide its road into sections not over
6 miles long. At least one man per
mile Of track must be employed in
the section gang. In addition the
company must employ a day and a
night track walker On each section.
The railroad commission Is en-
powered to employ one track inspec-
tor of at least years experience for
each 1000 miles of road in the state
These track inspectors are to report
on the condition of the railroad tracks
Of the state, and on their report the
railroad commission may order repairs
made.
Foremen of sections are required
to report to the state railroad COM
mission once a month the number of
men in their employ the defects
found and repaired, and the amount
of old material replaced. They are
also required to report all accidents
within "a hours.
The expense of administering the
law is paid by a special tax of 81 on
each mile of road in Kansas. The