The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-06-09
President Ripley Discusses the
Pending Railroad Bill.
Says 1t Takes Control Away
From the Companies.
ONLY RESPONSIBILITY
Without Ownership Is Left
Them, He Says.
Declares the Roads Have Been
Made the ''Goat."

New York, June 9.-Edward Payson
Ripley. president of the Atchison, To-
peka & Santa Fe. one of the western
railroad executives who was in confer
ence with President Taft, has given ou.
the following statement on the results
of that conference:
If every increase thus far filed at
Washington were allowed to go into
erect in full they would not justify the
railroads in going ahead with the I'M
provements they have planned The
increases enjoinel were only a drop IN
the bucket. The raises asked for the
"a western roads were almost imper-
cept1ble. They. must be followed by
much larger increases If railroading Is
to be profitable.
The conference with the president
has not cleared matters up, although
it has furnished basis on which the
railroads can work toward a solution
of their difficulties. In these circum-
stances, the Atchison will cut expenses
Wherever there is a chance to save a
dollar. Most of our improvement work
is so far advanced that it would cost
more to stop it than to carry it to COM
pletion, but no new obligations of any
kind will be entered into.
THE railroad bill as it stands is
terror. 1t axes control of the railroads
out of our hands, while leaving us the
responsibility. 1t gives the govern
ment practical control, without owner
ship. If it is to go into effect, 1 would
rather the interstate commerce com
mission were given full power to make
all rates.
Il do not want to criticise the COM
mission-it would not be becoming in
me to do so-but the fact remains that
most of its decisions have been against
the railroads. and / cannot see any
justification for the belief expressed in
some quarters after last nights confer
ence that now it is only a matter of
time until the incrpa soc We dacira ORC
put into effect
"As usual. the railroad is the goat
In the committee that appeared at
Washington to petition that western
association rates be enjoined there was
one lone shipper. The rest of the Wis
itors were professional leaders who oc-
cupy, a position in relation to the. ship
per corresponding to the relation of
the walking delegate to the working
man.
'"The present situation is not one
that iustifieS any investor in buying
railroad securities. The Missouri river
rate decision. affirmed the other day,
has thrown half the rates of the coun-
try into chaos"
In more than a score of interviews
with eastern railroad men and finan-
ciers William Rockefeller alone ex-
pressed himself as not entirely pleased
with the outcome of the rate confer
ence with President Taft, though ST.
Paul. in which Rockefeller was sup
posed to be heavily interested was the
railroad stock which declined most in
the six days preceding the conference.
All the other interviews were of as
optimistic tenor as the talks of the
railroad officers had beer pessimistic
in the days before the conference In
private conversations the railroad
managers expressed the greatest salts
faction over the circumstance that for
once they had gone to Washington,
had been met fairly. and had been
able to discuss the points at issue in an
amicable, conciliatory and friendly
Snirit