The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-04-22
Kansas Rock Island Clerk in
Controversy With Golfers.
E. H. Heath Of Harrington Goes
After Anti-RaiIway Papers.
ATTRACTS ATTENTION
In Recent Articles Heath Has
Written knowingly.
Other Items of General Inter-
est in Traffic World.

In the railroad rate controversy last
fall railroad officials and railroad pub
locations all over the country pointed
to one article as representing the best
argument produced in the fight be-
tween the shippers and the rail lines
before the interstate commerce COM
mission.
This one article was written by z.
H. Heath chief clerk to G. w. Rourke,
superintendent Of the Kansas division
of the Rock Island Lines, headquarters
at Herington.
since the writing of that article,
which was copied widely, and quoted
wisely, Chief Clerk Heath has turned
out Of his lonely typewriter way out
in Kansas" q. series OF articles as fol
lowers" to his maiden effort on the rate
proposition-and he has opened the eyes
of railroad men as well as newspaper
editors
Now Heath is having a controversy
with Golfers Weekly. Golfers is not
printing the controversy-it is per-
sonal argument between the manager
and Mr.. Heath and typewriter keys
have pounded far into the night, down
at Harrington, in forcing upon the
undertaking weekly in New York to
admit q railway point.
The general officials of the Rock Is
land in Topeka have heard OF this
Heath-Colliers letter writing contest
and the other day they wrote to Heath
Below is a section of the last letter
to Golfers relating to the regulation or
railroads-Heath takes for example the
foolishness of regulating newspapers
like railroads and plays upon his harp
a parody that will be appreciated-even
by the anti-railroad newspaper frater-
nifty:
AFTER. IT years of more or less close
association with transportation com
panies the writer feels that he knows
something about the transportation
business. He makes no pretense or
knowing anything about Journalism
Judging from the dogmatic statements
and categorical assertions Of would be
sages, that ignorance qualities him to
Judge the whole field of journalism. AS
a prelude to such judgment 1t might
be we'll to predicate the following re-
marks upon the fact that newspapers
are specially favored creatures Of the
basic law. That the constitution of the
United States confers extraordinary
rights and protects them with extraor-
binary safe guards, that they are en-
dowed with powers and privileges far
beyond those of an individual, that such
special powers and privileges were not
granted without contemplating grave
responsibilities for exceptionable pub
lie service. The reader Will not be re-
quired to go further than your own col
llrnns to prove these conditions. 1t
therefore follows that the public have
a right to regulate the fields of Journal
ism in the interests of the social well
being. and as a start in that direction,
the following legal enactments might
be suggested:
''Au newspapers and magazines will
be required to provide published tar
lifts for subscription, and advertising
rates, and all other services for which
they expect the public to pay. These
tariffs to be fled in every city where
that particular paper circulates. That
IL e.
plain these tariffs. A nisquoted rate
should result in fine; every periodical
will be required to have one executive
officer in each state in which 1T circu-
Eates; such publication shall be respon-
BILE for the accuracy of all items ap-
bearing in it's columns, including news,
editorial or advertising; no publica-
4ion will be allowed to accept advertis-
ing matter which does not sell the
product it adverttSeS; the burden OF
proof Of the selling power to fall upon
that publication 1t must be plain that
the cost of production should not I'M
necessarily be increased by payment
for a service which is not performed;
no employee of any publication shall
he or permitted to remain on duty for
a longer period than nine hours in any
"a hours period, and these nine hours
must be consecutive; all periodicals to
he required to furnish reports showing
violation Of this act; such reports shall
be the basis of the assessment of fines.
when any regular edition Of said pub
Ucation is more than two hours late,
a special edition shall be printed; when
the regular edition is not printed on
time, such paper shall return to the
subscriber and the advertiser a pro rata
portion of such subscription or adver-
Using charge. Every publication must
provide different colors Of paper for
different races, no publication shall be
permitted to charge more for smaller
paper than for 8. larger one, nor more
for q smaller advertising space than
for a larger advertising space; all pub
locations must adopt uniform ACCOUNT
ing and render monthly and yearly re-
ports; all publications must prescribe
joint and club rates with such other
periodicals as the authorities determine
that the social wellbeing demands. At
ter the passage of this act, it shall be
unlawful to charge more than two
cents per issue for any publication
either monthly, weekly, or daily; all
publications must provide full crews,
each machine being equipped with at
least three operators"