The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-04-12
Electric Railway Association
Seeks to End Prejudice.
Plan Trip to Last Six Weeks
and Cover Country.
TO TELL OF MONEY INVESTED
People Will Be Asked to Hear
Investors Side.
Wealth Shown Created Since
1902, Holland Says.

VV@S nO1IduU Says
New York, April 12.=On Friday of
last week representatives of the
american Electric Railway associa-
ton and of the American Electric
hallway Manufacturers association
met In one of the consultation rooms
OF the Engineering club in New
york city. They were occupied for
the greater part of the day in work
ing out an itinerary for an excursion
winch, from some points of view, is to
pe the largest in the number of miles
trdVeIed and the most comprehensive
in the area covered of any itinerary
prepared for any trade mercantile or
Danklng association in the United
states: TO arrange an itinerary of
this kind is of itself no trifling matter
ASIDE from the features of the timer
airy OF president who is to make
Journey here or there in the United
states which provides for his personal
sa1ety and the protection of his person
from the possible danger of attack
the itinerary prepared for these two
associations is quite as detailed and
mas required even greater study and
preliminary arrangements than have
the trips of the president.
When the itinerary was prepared it
was found that the total mileage pro-
Vlded for was eleven thousand. The
final arrangem ents-which were
made today-have only changed some
of the minor details of this excursion.
Officers of these two associations will
travel eleven thousand miles. The
journey will begin on April IT, the
starting point being New York city
soclauonS are expected to arrive in
New York city early next week. The
excursion will go is far south as Gal
weston, as far west as Los Angeles and
70
Vancouver, British Colum bia. On the
return journey all of the capital cities
of the states of the northwest and the
middle west will be visited, as we'll as
the larger towns in those states.
Great Itinerary.
A brief summary of the itinerary
shows that on April Is these men of
electric science will visit Richmond;
on April 10 Charleston, S. c. A night
journey will take them to Augusta
Sunday. On the twenty-second they
will visit Atlanta, and SO on, through
out the south, until, on April 20, Gal
weston, Texas, is reached. Then the
westward. They will be in Oklahoma
City on May 1, in California from
May to May 9, at Portland, Oregon,
May IA and at Vancouver, British
again turns in another direction.
From May 16 until May 2S the itin-
erary covers Seattle and all the large
intervening cities between Seattle and
Pittsburg, including Cincinnati. Chi
cago appears to have been left out of
the itinerary.
Here, then, is an excursion which
will last about six weeks, for the Of
ficers delegated by the two associa-
lions to represent them will leave New
York by the Pennsylvania railroad
at nine-thirty p. M April II, and if
all goes well they will arrive in New
York on their return May 20 at
O'Clock in the morning.
Special cars have been provided for
the party and they will make their
entire trip in these. The arrangements
for hauling these cars by the different
railroads have themselves entailed a
large amount of work.
What Is the Purpose.
This is to be no pleasure trip. 1t is
a purely business undertaking. not
merely private business or business d.
rectly associated with the interests of
the two associations. 1t has been
planned partly as a great civic exper-
iment, and it is expected that the trip,
as a whole, will prove to be of great
benefit not only to those whose bust
ness is with the leectric railway asso-
Citations, but also the general public.
1t has been observed by those who man
age public utilities cor oor&tioE that in
some communities there seems to be
doubt respecting the efficiency of the
public service commissions. Sometimes It
has been thought that these commissions
are disposed to be too drastic and some of
the members in danger of becoming self
consequential, while the other naud.
it has sometimes been said that the com
missions are too lenient and occasionally
members of the commissions seem to
have yielded to political temptations, al
though on the whole these commissions
have been of vast service. 1t has seemed
to the officers of these two associations
that great good can be accomplished if
there be meetings and discussions be-
tween public utilities commissions or civil:
bodies and citizens generally that
there may be good understanding of what
the just and adequate relations between
public service corporations and the con-
munities they serve may be- The officers
of these two associations are confident
that through an interchange of views a
true spirit of cooperation can be FOSTER
ed for it is now recognized that If The
highest service which public utility
corporation can give is to be secured it
must be developed through the spirit of
fair cooperation between the pubic and
the corporation. ~
It has been the feeling ot members of
the Electric Railway association that.
taking the country as whole, the public
utilities through the management and
oneration of electric railroads than IN
any other way. The operation of the
highway trolley roads and electric rail-
roads is constantly before the eyes Of citi-
zens. Hundreds of thousands of them
every day avail themselves of the facln-
ties for quick and safe transit winch
these electric railroads offer. This inter
change of opinion. comparison of views
Is the chief object of this excursion
Nothing like it has ever before been at
tempted in the United States
What They Represent.
The officers who have been authorized
nv the associations to represent them in
this excursion Will be able 20 speak TO
civic bodies, public service commissions
and citizens in many of the larger cities
a f0rs