The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-01-31
Tells How Radical Legislation
Has Hurt Railroads.
BLAMES Newspapers.
Thinks Editors Should Take
More Conservative Stand.
Vuotes from Roosevelt in Sup
port Of Position.

Garolner Lathrop OF Chicago, leading
counsel for the Santa Fe railroad de-
HVered the annual address before the
Kansas Bar association, in the chamber
OF the supreme court last night. Mr..
Latnrop talked on the subject. Con
serVatlsm. While he made a plea that
~ CONSERVATIVE methods be used in
oeaHng with the railroad question he
also touched upon various other sub
Jects Which are receiving legislation of
pronounced radical type.
Mr.. Lathrop's address lacked all of
me usual radical statements which are
usually expected from a railroad man.
but on the other hand the address was
an unprejudiced one and was conserve
tive to the end.
1t did not take the speaker very long
TO define his subject to its application
aIoig railroad lines. After a few gen.
eral remarks upon conservatism in
winch he pronounced conservatism as
greater at any time than radicaIism Mr.
Lathrop took up the railroad and cor
poratlon feature Of his subject He ad-
nlltteo that the railroads were partially
to blame for the present sentiment on
account of their violations of laws in
the past but that these violations were
a thing of the past. He argued that
the present remedies for the disease
We're killing the patient
Regarding the railroads Mr. Lathrop
said:
How many Kansas farmers would
have their farms free from debt, their
wives and children well fed and clothed
and educated, their homes well furnish
ed with money in the bank If the rail-
roads had not penetrated to their doors
to carry their products rapidly and
safely and often for long distances to
the most profitable markets? What
made their farms, entered perhaps from
the government at a fraction over a
6n1 ~ !,
ty times as much within the space of a
single decade or less? 1t was the fer
tilizing influence of the railroads What
gives the greatest value to the products
of the mine, the forest and the factory
but their ability through the railroads
to reach the men or the enterprise who
wants them and Is willing to pay the
highest price to secure them? Where
would have been the population and
prosperity of the cOurcry town and the
commercial center% without the rail-
roads? Am wrong in claiming that
after agriculture, the one most impor-
tant element in the development of our
resources, and the accumulation of our
wealth, has been our transportation
system?
What courage it originally took to
build railroads through barren wastes
or unpopulated cOuntryi What immense
losses to original investors, What scant
returns in the way of dividends for so
ing of rates, both passenger and freight
far below those of any other country,
voluntarily made with the increase Of
traffic, or as the result of competition! :!
The travelling and shipping public far
better served and for less money than
anywhere else on earthi The evils that
crept into railroad management were
not excessive rates except in isolated
cases but favoritiSm to particular ship
pers. Those, under the proper and rigid
enforcement Of the law, have disap-
peared And now with the increasing
traffic of the farmer, lumberman, mine
owner, merchant and manufacturer,
when the demand upon the railroads for
increased facilities in the way of dou
BILE tracks, longer switches, more
equipment, and better terminals, is in
exorable public clamor, in angry re-
sentiment for past offenses or envy of
a period of prosperity in which the rail-
roads have only participated along with
everyone else is insistent upon inordi-
nate increases of taxes, unreasonable
borrowing capacity, restrictions upon
labor contract rights, and drastic Off
cial regulation of almost every depart
ment of railroad work.
1.-THE result has been a paralysis of
railroad extension and enterprise, af-
fecting not alone the manufacturer of
railway supplies and equipment but the
shipper of freight as well. A published
report from New York, under date of
January %, discloses the following
startling state OF faets; 49,.
large railroad companies show that
week ago there were 800, 900 idle freight
cars in the United States and about g.
600 locomotives which are laid up on ac-
count of the falling off In traffic. AS
there are 900 900 freight cars in the
country, this would show that IA per
cent of all the cars owned by railroads
are stored on railroad tracks waiting
for loads Figuring the value of cars
as 81 900 each and of locomotives at
s15 900. the statement shows that the
railroads have 440 million dollars tied
nm in rolling stock for which there is
no present use.
Has Hurt the Roads.
1.-THE assault on the railroads has not
only impaired their credit but has
cansed a condition of distrust which
has affected all values and brought
q ahout a period of business denreSsion
and disaster unparalleled in our his
tory, in the very midst of bount1ful
crops and general commercial prosper
ity Other causes have doubtless had
their share in bringing about the pres
emf loss of confidence in the business
world. but 1 respectfully submit that
the chief factor has been the practically
UNIVERSAL assault upon the railroads
by hostile legislatures and commissions,
1rsed to radical action by an insatiate
and unthinking public clamor- If the
conservative lawyer does not raise his
voice to stem the tide, the two receiv-
erships that have already resulted will
he followed by many others, infiicting
untold injury upon the entire farming
and business public as well upon the
men and women and trustees of estates
who own the railroad properties them
selves besides throwing thousands of
men out of employment. Already large
of working forces have been
made.
1.-The gross earnings of the railroads