The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-11-05

| addition to falling short in his com
putation by $12,500 mile, he admit
ted that he had left out of his calcu-
lations the following, among other es-
sential factors:
1. All terminal facilities and other
| parts of the plant made necessary by
interstate traffic. OF what use would
the Santa Fe be to Kansas without ia
| grain, live stock and other products,
and to bring in the machinery. cloth
| ing and other supplies needed by the
people? What would Topeka do
without the vast acreage of Santa Fe
yards and shops and the muItitudes of
mouths it feeds and backs it's clothes :?
i Would the people of the state tolerate
such a reproduction of the Santa Fe
as the governor proposes?
2. He admitted that he left out of
| his calculations a telegraph and tele-
phone line, which would cost from
| $500 to $500 a mile and without which
| a railroad would be as helpless as a
stump speaker without tongue.
| 8. He omitted from his estimate the
cost of supplying the line with water,
which would be upwards of $4,000 a
mile.
| 4. He left out of account signs and
! crossings, interlocking and other sig
nal appliances, shop machinery and
| tools and roadway tools, which mount
| rapidly into money.
| 5. He left the right of way unfenced
and without any miscellaneous, build
| ings, including the hotels and other
provisions made for the care of the
public.
6. He omitted to take account of the
fact, brought to his attention on cross
| examination, that to reproduce" the
| Santa Fe he must figure on ballast
many feet deep in places, which has
been repeatedly renewed for more than
| thirty years. In no event and at no
cost could he reproduce a line which
i, has had that many years of season
ing"
7. And finally this railroad which is
| ready to spring in state of full con-
| struction from the brain of Governor
Stubs, and for the proper birth of
which he is ready to give a million
| dollar bond to somebody or other, is
| entirely without locomotives. entirely
| without freight cars, entirely without
| passenger equipment
| But the omission of these few details
7 from the calculations of the governor
| was hardly unexpected for several
reasons, one of which is that, aa he
admitted on REORGANIZATION. he
never constructed a complete railroad
in his life. He was mere grading
| contractor. Therefore. aside from his
| disqualifying political bent, he is in
competent to figure on the subject.
The second theme of Governor
| Stubbs, apitalization, has been
fully answered by what l have said
| on the cost of the plant. It must be
clear to any candid mind that the gov
ernor's estimate of $4,000 for Santa
Fe main line is less than half the value
of the property. The Santa Fe is not
| capitalized for what it is worth.
After Kidding himself of his feelings
regarding watered stock and the I'M
earned increment Governor Stubs ad-
mitted that his stock in the Lawrence
bank was worth $1.40 when he paid
only 81 for it. But he explained, and
very properly, that brains and ability
had gone into the bank, to which l
| answered that a heavy investment of
brains and ability had gone into the
Santa Fa too If the unearned $40 on
a share of stock is accorded to Cover
nor Stubs as rightly his. and if no
body questions the right of the farm
er to the increase per acre of his land
value, why should the like enhance
ment of railroad property provoke so
much hot breath?
is mere vagary. Labored and costly
estimates have been made in other
states and in some instances they are
misleading. The conditions under
which the Santa Fe was built have
passed away forever. Mature brings
not back the mastodon nor we those
tin es.'' The Santa Fe could not be
world any more than an oak tree can
be replaced. There have gone into ii
franchises and good will and expert