The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-11-22
Governor StubbS Issues Ultima
tum to Missouri Pacific. !.
Must Repair Central Branch or
State Will Get Receiver.
APPEALED TO GOULD.
But Governors Telegram Was
Ignored by the Millionaire.
Central Branch Must Be Fixed
Up One Way Or Another.

The state of Kansas is going to do
something with the Central Branch
railroad. and do it quickly" said Gov
ernor Stubs today, ''if the Missouri
Pacific does not take some action at
once.'
According to the governors statement
made today in emphatic fashion the
end of the long procession of fair prom
1ses has been reached. There must be
something done at once or Attorney
General Jackson will be instructed TO
institute a suit in the supreme court u
throw the Central Branch into the
hands of a receiver. The state will act
as receiver in this event and fix up the
road and turn it back over the COM
pany upon payment of the bill of ex-
penses for this work. This step was
made possible by law passed by the
last legislature and has been made d
necessity by the railroad company's de-
lay of two years in acceding to the de-
mand that something be done.
Prize Bad Roadbed.
Speaking further about the Central
Branch, Governor Stubbs said: TT is
the worst piece of railroad 1 know of
anywhere. 1t is an outrage that the
people of Kansas have had to put up
with such service for so long For
three years now the company have been
putting us off with promises. They
have, during this time spent millions of
dollars on their through lines to the
Pacific coast and have let the Central
Branch go to the dogs. Their policy
has been that Kansas people, from
Atch1son to the western border, can
pay for standard service and then put
up with the worst railroad service in
this country. The limit has been
reached.
1.-TWO months ago 1 took up the mat
ter of the Central Branch with Attor-
ney Dawson of the railroad board and
the board will soon take steps through
the regulation channels to stir up the
company to action.
Dispatch to Gould.
Last Friday I sent the following
dispatch to Geo. J. Gould, president of
the Missouri Pacific:
&c George j. Gould, President Missouri
Pacific Railway, 195 Broadway,
New York City.
The Kansas board of railway
commissioners have during the past
two years been urging the Missouri
Pacific railway to improve it's road
vice to it's patrons. While some pro-
gress has been made there are several
miles of your road in this
state where the road-bed and the SER
vice furnished is a shame and dis
grace. The Central Branch running
from Atchison to Lenora is a con-
spicuous example of railroad
traversing the richest farming COM
in the world where the service
and tracks are bad beyond COM
parison. Will you kindly advise me
Immediately and definitely what i'm
provements you propose to make on
this Central. Branch and when you
propose to make them
Now I have not even received
reply to this message. 1 believe that
IA II stare
has been put off long enough. This
Central Branch road has become a
byword and a reproach to the state
and the time has come for action If
the company does not get busy at once
the state will
munication with the mayor of Water
vile. the town in which Indignation
meetings against the Central Branch
have been held. and is in close touch
with present conditions and with pub
lie sentiment on the matter.
The law under which the state can
act in this receivership matter was
passed by the legislature last winter
and by its provisions the courts can
appoint a receiver for any line or
road that refuses to provide adequate
service to the travelling and shipping
nublic. There should be no trouble
then, under this law, in getting a re-
ceivership for the Central Branch.
1t is expected, in view of Governor
Stubbs' statements this morning. and
the frame of mind he is in in regard
to the matter, that the attorney gem
eraI will very soon be instructed to
start proceedings against the road IN
the s,1nreme court for a rece1vership.
That is, unless the company take
some action at once to convince the
governor that they mean 10 improve
the road in question as soon as pos