The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-02-25

great corporations The people ulti-
\ mately pay all the salaries of railroad
and traffic managers, and all the high
salaried men and lobbyists who are
| pitted against the states officers
charged with fighting the battles OF
the people and enforcing the laws OF
the state. No more ridiculous sight
has ever been witnessed in connection
with a legislature than to see dozens
of high salaried corporation lobbyists
and attorneys hover around the mem
berS of this legislature and plead with
them not to burden the farmers with
the added cost of public utll1tleS
commission, and to hear some OF these
members repeat over and over, par
rotlike, the arguments of the lobbyists
to their fellow members. The cor
porations take toll from the farmers
of Kansas to pay a large share or the
salaries of the lobbyists in Topeka,
who are here trying to defeat this one
measure which has for its purpose
scientific and constitutional foundation
upon which the state can enforce It's
laws in any court in the land.
The lobbyists have shrewdly made
most prominent the least important
part of these public utilities bills by
continually talking about the small.
local public utilities in cities, and
making no reference to the greatest
and most important part of our prob
lem which is the proper control and
regulation of railroads. pipelines, ex-
press, telegraph, telephone and other
public service corporations of state
wide importance.
1t is utterly impossible for the state
to prescribe rates and regulations
which will stand the test of the courts
without knowing all of the facts about
the business which it seeks to govern
and control.
State Must Have Information.
The state laws give that power to |
regulate and control state banks and |
the state officers know and have the |
lawful right to know everything about !
the banks that the bankers know |
fact the state banks of"Kansas are the |
soundeSt, the best and the most pros |
porous in the world.
And this will be true with state |
supervision of other public service cor |
porations. The state must have the |
right to all the information concern
ing the business of a railroad corpora
ton which the officers and attorneys
Of such corporation have themselves;
otherwise the state is hopelessly hand
Icapped in any attempt to govern these
by law. 1t is squarely
before this legislature to grant to the
public officers that right and to fur
nish the funds for its proper exercise.
If this legislature will enact into the
public utilities measures, the bill now
in the hands of the railroad commit
tee requiring all railroads to make an
tented statement under oath of the
cost of all rails, road-beds, ties, right
Of way. cars, engines terminals and
other equipment, the attorney gener-
ais antitrust bills. the White resolu-
ion and bill, and the maximum rate Il
aw drawn by the railroad commits
sioners, and appropriate $4,000 per L
1nnum for the physical valuation of
of public service corpora
ions. it will make it possible for this
administration to do effective, credit
able work that will have a far reach
ng effect, of inestima BILE value to our
state
The public utilities measure does
lot propose to create a new board, but
'ather to add two members who shall
De chosen with special reference to
heir fitness for this work, to the pres
ent board of railroad commissioners,
md give them charge of all public
Utilities in this state with powSr to su-
Oervise the issue of stocks and bonds, Il
ascertain the physical valuation of
heir properties and have general su-
0ervision and control of such corpora
ions
If you leave US with fifty injunctions
pending in the federal court forbid
ling the attorney general and the rail-
Dad commissioners to put into effect
he laws of this state, and provide no
or redress. the public must
know on whom to place the respon-
ibility.
W. r. STUBBS, Governor
"a 1909 |