The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-11-01
ATTY GEN'L WEST
MAKES GAUST|C REPLY

Replying to the charges Of the Re-
publican organization and its sub
SERVANT organ that he had sought TO
oyer-yalue the property OF railroads
for taxation and under-yalue the PROB
erty for fixing rates, Attorney Cen
era West submits the following
statement
THE Republican organization, its
speakers on the stump and the organ
o. the Santa Re railroad in Oklahoma,
the Guthrie State Capital. are charg-
ing that swore that the identical
property OF the railroads was worth
twice as much for taxation as II was
when considered as basis upon
which TO fix rates In the state of Ok
lahoma TO the mind of the man who
has not considered the complex Ques-
ton Of rate making, the charge
amounts to the statement that have
sought to oyer-yalue he property Of
| he railroads for taxation and under
value the property for fixing rates,
and thereby have been unjust 10 the
Railroads in both instances.
In the first place, wish 10 call
the attention TO the public TO the re-
cent letter of Mr. y. p Ripley, the
president of the Santa Fe, to Cover
nor Stubbs OF Kansas in which he
stated that railroad capitalization has
nothing to do with fixing rates, and
that railroad valuation has nothing
to do with fixing rates that the cost
Of traffic is the real basis. Governor
Stubbs and myself contend that the
value of the property owned by the
railroad company must determine the
reasonableness or unreasonablenesb
of the railroads arnings; but Mr.. RIP
| lev contends that the value OF the
property has nothing to do with IT.;
hat the only question Is how much
service does the road render to the
person whose property or person is
transported; in other words, the
theory of the railroad is that rates
md fares should be all the traffic will
bear. If this theory OF Mr. Ripley IS
correct then ii Is a matter OF utter
Indifference what swore in the rate
ase. In the first place. would have
he public know thar / am contend
ne that certain Of the Republican
iominees are really stalking horses
or the railroads that are attacking
| he whole system OF government in
| his state, both its rate-making power,
| is taxation power, and all its special
| -eform laws. AS evidence OF this Is
he fact that their charges against
,e are given great prominence in tbs
utarie state Capital, nOtorlously
tated to be owned by subsidiary
ompany of the Santa Fe railroad. II
understood that IN rate suits. In
ak suits, and wherever they meet,
| hat the Santa Fe railroad and the
tate of Oklahoma are in conflict,
nd therefore statements coming from
| he Santa Fe should be received with
aution. These charges appear In the
epublican text book, but they were
aken bodily out of the brief filed by
he Santa Fe Railroad company's at
orneys, Cottingham e. Bledsoe, oil
iuthrie. They will be found al
ages ia, lis and l16. just as stated
IS the Santa Fe organ, the Guthrie
tate Capital. Isn't II matter that
noteworthy that he argument ol
he railroad attorneys In seeking to
Iestroy the credit OF the state OF OK
1homa should be seized upon by the
Republican organization In this state
further, 1t will appear upon looking
i the pages Of the brief that pre-
er TO, that the whole of my affidavit
not given. II has suited the con
enienee of the railroad company's
ttorneys in that case. and the hepnb
lean organization and the Santa Fe
,rgan in this matter 10 leave out tbs
Material part of the AFFIDAVIT Thai
lfidavit appears in full In the recort
He'd in the Federal court in the rate
:ase, at pages 2S4 and following. ant
4 page 2S4 | state, that have beei
'orced to study the value of railroads
rom two different points OF view
9th the tangible value of the physi
al property and the value as goins
| concerns. The point is this, for in
| erstate business or that business
Which moves from one state to 'anoth
er. all the property wherever situated