The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-02-15
CAUSES A STIR.
Rate Clerk Proposition Causes
Excitement Last Night.
Ex-President Holiday Says One
Is Unnecessary.
MR.. w. C. CARNEY, TOO.
Santa Fe Agent Denies There Is
Discrimination Here.
Mr.. Dickey Tells What Is Ac-
cOmplished in Other Cities.

alterations of the Commercial club on
nearly all matters relating to the gas
situation, at it's meeting last night.
there did not seem to be sufficient
surplus Of that divine attribute hover
ing about subsequent proceedings to
call loudly for any bonfire. There was
an air Of suppressed irritation on the
part of some of the members. Of anxi-
ETY. for somebody to knock the chip of
their shoulders, that, in the language
of the nursery, indicated they had "got
out of bed on the wrong SIDE.
The project of establishing q manu-
facturers' bureau and employing an
expert rate clerk to check over all ex-
pense bills on inbound freight, advo-
Gated by W. G. Dickey, chairman of
the manufacturers committee, served
to arouse the antagonism of represen-
tatives of the railroad interests and pre-
cipitated discussion that was at times
acrimonious. Again, there were thinly
yelled innuendoes exchanged between
partisans of the administration that Is
and adherents of the administration
that was, and more than once an open
clash seemed imminent. Both sides
seemed "sot' in their opinions and not
particularly averse to wound1ng the
feelings of the opposition-the dignity
of the body forbidding the infection OF
any other sort of wounds.
In the course of his discussion of the
rate clerk proposition, Mr.. Dickey ven
tured the assertion that such func-
tionary would collect more than dou-
BILE, yes, three times his salary on
freight charges based on incorrect
classif1cations. There is vast amount
of work this department could accom-
plish for the business men of Topeka:
The man in charge of the work would
have to be an expert rate man and one
thoroughly conversant with railroad
rates and classifications-"
Discrimination Is Charged.
When he had concluded and the ap-
plause called forth by his views had
subsidized:
ct have heard that Topeka is very
much Disseminated against in the mat
Jensen. Does anybody know anything
about it?''
1.-The secretary knows all about 1t,
suggested Major Anderson, but
although question and answer were
both repeated the chair apparently did
not catch the secretary's reply.
There is absolutely no discrimina--
ton" w. c. Garvey, freight agent of
the Santa Fe, told the president.
with all respect to the railroads. I
have traffic department and my traf-
fic manager saves me ten times what L
pay him, twas the chairs response. THE
saving is not all in Kansas rates, but
east of Chicago as WELL.
my experience" continued Mr.. Gar
vey. lis that it is not your traffic man
ager but our men who correct the err
rors on which your savings are made.
1T have always found Mr. Garxey
very kind and his road ever ready to
correct Mistakes" conceded President
Jensen, ''but I had to first discover the
mistakes, and if we had man to check
over all the expense bills the result
might be a very important saving"
THAT kind of a man comes high,
Mr. Garvey informed the president IN
the course of a brief but spirited pas
sage at arms, and he moved that the
report be referred back to the commit
tee on manufactures, with instructions
to report in detail just what the COM
mittee meant and what 1t wanted
done.
internosed Mr.. Holiday; at is simply
a paper read by gentleman appointed
by the committee
THE Commercial club has been for
years working right along the lines he
suggests" said Mr.. Garvey.
The st. Paul Style.
Mr.. Dickey stated that since his pa
per was prepared he had had long
talk with a gentleman who is propos-
ing to establish a large implement fac
tory in Topeka, who is gone now, but
Will be back In March. he tnon Te1d-
ted his experience in st. Paul, Mimi,
when he visited that city with the OBJ
ject of establishing a branch house, as
pertinent to the discussion Of the local
situation. The building he had selected
as most available for his purpose was
$3.50 too high in the matter of rent. He
went to the secretary Of the ST. Paul
Business Mems league, who promptly
referred him to a Mr.. James, whose
duty it Is to look after such things.
so kind was Mr.. James to U.S." de-
clared Mr.. Dickey, that we didn't even
go to Minneapolis to investigate. We
found place in ST. Paul that we made
do because they treated US so we'll
The St. Paul Business Mems league
owns a 160-acre tract of land between
the Twin Cities" continued Mr.. Dickey,
that was purchased to furnish sites
for new plants seeking such induce
ments. If Topeka was situated that
way it would be a splendid proposition
1t would have the further advantage of
concentrating all the factory dirt,
smoke and noise in one section and
would enable factory owners to com
bine and economic in the matter of
heat, light and power"
Mr.. Holiday, the retiring president.