The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-01-12

criticism for this policy, invoke the
| logic of results for its vindication.
Even in the heat of an intense politi-
! cal campaign no malfeasance in Office
has been charged against any official.
THE foundation for the greatest
commonwealth in the union has al
| ready been laid. The material neces-
sary to build a superstructure is JUS
ltice, morality patriotism, intelligence
and industry. There is constant
/ struggle for SUPREMACY in Dro1resx
throughout the land Kansas should
ever maintain the principle that men
count for more than property The
rights of property must be kept in
violate, but the rights of persons must
| be equally sacred before the law
Manhood and womanhood, noble char
acter. high Ideals, service to humanity
| and genuine love of country are the
| only true measure of success and nee
essary qualifications to a. respectable
place in society. Faithful, honest ser
vice to the commonwealth is of more
Importance to the public than the ac-
cunulation of wealth.
Poverty and crime travel hand in
hand with illiteracy and ignorance
| Our public school system costs many
millions of dollars every year but it
| is worth Infinitely more than the cost;
| it is the greatest safeguard of a re-
public and the key which unIocks the
door to progress, prosperity and hap
piness. Kansas can Ill afford anything
short of the best books the best
teachers and the best public school
system that can be produced. Every
citizen ought to read his Bible, his
ballot and his newspaper without as
sistance.
THE same standard of integrity
and service, and the same sound bust
ness laws must be applied to the man
ness alike. To pay political debts out
of the state treasury under the gu1se
of wages, to men who neither work
nor render any valuable service to the
cfss &c 1T~iT1 aIc e-I7, =
be in law.
Public Utilities.
Every public utility should be COM
PEELED by law to furnish the same
quality of. service at the same price to
all patrons alike Kansas is fortunate
in having some of the best constructed,
best equipped, best maintained and
operated railroads in the country.
These roads are an Invaluable asset to
our state and we may we'll feel proud
of them. The problem of establishing
equitable rules and rates for service
rendered is one which must be deter
mined on the basis of justice to the
public, and the railroads alike. The
earnings of railroads and all public
utilities must necessarily cover operat-
ing expenses, renewals, maintenance,
reasonable interest charges for capital
invested, and a surplus should be set
aside each prosperous year to protect
the property and maintain the service |
during bad or Improbable times. |
Every conservative. financial and BUSH |
ness institution throughout the coun-
try is based on this kind of a policy. |
The state, has created these corpora
lions and authorized them to perform
certain public service. 1t has reserved |
the right to make rates, and eSta bliSh |
rules and regulations for their control. |
It is therefore not only its right. but |
it's duty to ascertain the actual cost
of every commodity supplied and SER
vice performed by public service cor
porations, so that it may act infelli- |
gently and do no injustice to these in |
terests. 1t is the manifest duty of the |
railroads to furnish and maintain in |
a business-like way, all necessary /
service to transport persons and prop |
erty within reasonable time at reas-
enable cost without discrimination to |
all patrons and at all stations on its |
line.
t'The policy Of this administration /
toward public utilities. insofar as the |
chief executive is concerned, shall be |
to promote and protect in every right
way the interests and rights of all cor
porations, whether they own and ope-
rate railroads or other property, just
SO long as they are honestly endeavor-
ing to give the public adequate SER
vice at reasonable cost
But we have railroads running
through the richest parts of Kansas
where the roadbeds were cheaply con- |
structed and the equipment, cars, en-
entirely insufficient to meet the rea-
sonable requirements for the COM
munity. For twenty years, and more,
these roadbeds have been permitted to
steadily deteriorate and the service
became a disgrace. DepotS are closed,
cars are denied and the rights of the
public and the laws of the state are
continuously ignored. This latter class
of roads have steadily diverted their
Kansas earnings to projects beyond
the limits of this state. If there is
power in the law to compel these
roads to give better service and use
their earnings for the upbuilding of
tracks and equipment and to dis
charge their whole duty as common
carriers, that power will be used to
the utmost. There is no reason why
the public welfare should not be pro-
tected against abuses and nnisuses of
railroad properties as well as banks,
or other corporations, by the APP
pointment of receivers to take charge /
until the fragrant abuses of corporate
privileges are fully corrected. I
Raps Federal Court.
1.-THE laws delay is becoming a mat
ter of grave concern, to persons
charged with administrative duties, in
many states. There are now pending
fifty temporary injunctions against the
officers of this state restraining them
from taking any step whatever looking
to the enforcement of state laws for
the regulation of public service cor
porations. Many of these cases have !
been filed with the federal court from !
one to two years and have not been ,
heard on the merits The RESPONSE :
bility for this unwarranted delay is on ;
account of technicalities of law and ;
dflatory maneuvers which amount to
a denial of justice to the people of =
Kansas The federal court was estab- | :
Iished to promote justice and not to ,
nuIIify state laws. by protecting great !
with temporary in juno 6