The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-05-14

VALUE OF ROADS
Effort Will Be Made to Secure
an Appropriation.
Commission Would Secure Phys
ical Valuation of Railways.
NOW HAS THE POWER.
All That Is Needed Is the Nee
essary Cash.
NOW HAS THE POWER.
President Taft Depended Upon
to 4ffix His o. X.

: Washington. lay 14.-When the de-
ficiency approximation bill is made up,
some time before the end of the spec
lal session, there will be determined
effort TO insert in it an amendment ap-
pfoprlat1ng for the expense of Valu-
alton Of the railroads. to be made by
the interstate commerce commission.
The commission is anxious 20 have
the money, and its friends have been
feehng out the opinion of leaders in
both houses with the view to de-
termln-lng the chance of the meas
ure passing. 1t is explained that there
lis not only need for the appropriation,
but immediate need The commission
requires valuation, and requires it
without delay. The railroads III sew
eral cases have submitted valuations
! OF their property, made by their ex-
perts; and these are to go to the courts
with the cases, onappeal, involving or
GERS OF the commission to reduce rates.
In the southwest cattle raiSerS' cases
the roads made up a valuation which
/ is likely to become a turning point in
the case. The commission maintains
that it is altogether too high, and has
engaged an expert in valuations to go
| over and prepare a criticism of it. This
expert is Engineer Thompson, of the
Texas state railroad commission, who
had charge of all the engineering work
| in making the valuation for the state
! of the Texas railroads Mr.. Thompson
/ Knows the business IN all IT'S aspects,
and understands the underlying theories
! OF valuation which have been discussed
! by the courts. He is going to apply
| his knowledge in the present review of
valuations made by the railroads them
selves.
! In the Northwestern lumber cases
valuations have been submitted by the
Northern Pacific and Great Northern,
and in order to disprove the immense
valuations there claimed by the roads,
Ia mi anl- n loss
than it's own complete, detailed valua-
ton will serve. Therefore. as these kind
of demands are now constantly rising,
| il wants the money to make the valua-
ton.
| After a good deal of uncertainty, the
commission has decided that it has all
necessary power to do this work. 1t
must have money, however, and to get
it and get it at once. the proposal
has been advanced to append the
amendment on the deficiency bin. This
measure will appropriate to begin the
census taking, and for some minor
matters. Whether a railroad valuation
amendment would be considered ger
name is the grave question, but it is
hoped President Taft and the leaders
III congress may be,inSuced to agree to
let it go through.
| The fact has been determined by the
secretary of agriculture. and notice is
given, that the contagious disease
known as scabies is not now known to
exist, or exists to a slight extent only,
among cattle in Trego, Sheridan and
| Thomas counties, Kansas, quarantined
last September and October Is. In
order to prevent the spread of this cat
tie disease Secretary Wilson has issued
an amended rule which reads as fol-
lows:
THE counties of Cheyenne, Sherman,
Wallace, Greeley, Hamilton. Stanton
Morton, Stevens. Kearney, Wichita, To-
gan, Rawlins. Cove, Scott, Lane Fin
ney, Gray, Haskell, Seward, Meade,
Il Clark Ford, Kiowa and Comanche."
The effect of this order is 90 release
from quarantine on account of scabies
in cattle the counties of Trego, Sheri-
dan and Thomas.
The Washington Post says: "A mar
ried woman in Kansas is not compelled
by law to take the name of her hus-
band said Thomas w. Hare, of Kan
sas City, Kan, at the Raleigh. Mr.
Hare is a lawyer, and is here on de-
partmental business.
"A husband can take the name of his
wife If he wants to-" continued Mr.
: Hare, "or both can change names with
out even resorting to the courts or the
legislature.
This is the view of the attorney
general of Kansas, who says that the
f taking of the name of the husband by
the wife seems to be matter wholly
: of custom, and not of law, but that II
: seems to be a general custom through
out the whole of the universe, and one
! that has prevailed for centuries
Steel towers, 200 feet high, for wire
less purposes, are to be erected by the
/ signal corps of the army at Forts Leav-
: enworth and Riley to afford communi.
cation with the signal corps station
= at Fort Omaha, near which is located
the headquarters of the department o
t Missouri, in which the Kansas posts
5 are included.
Colonel Cunliffe H. Murray has beer
assigned to command the Tenth cav
airy at Fort Riley. Col Murray wa:
recently attached to the Fourth cav
airy at Fort Smelling, Mimi, and ha:
just been promoted to the rank of col
onel.
Rural letter carriers appointed TO
service in Kansas: Emmett R. Fox ant
: John H. Fizer at Woodsdale; Edward
. A. Mann and Myra E. Mann at Hois
: ington.
: PoStmasters commissioned in Kan
l sas: Almond P. Burdick at Norton
vile; Edwin T. Metcalf at Colony.
! KANSAS FARMER A SUICIDE.
| Tool Dnx.-r1 Cur, 70 Shoot CrOxrS T2rr