The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-05-22
SCORED A SUCCESS.
Topeka Traffic Bureau Brings BENEFITS
in Year.

The topeka Traffic Bureau mas peeh OH
unqualified success IN its brief existence
Of one year. The organization OF the as
ISOLATION in May, 1912, was celeprateu
Wednesday night by seventy r nle of ne
association at the Commercial club quar-
tiers. Through the efforts of the bureau
more money has been returned 10 ene ING
members by the railroads as result OF
claims for overcharges than 1t cost 10
maintain the association Tor year
IS, 7594s Claims in the sum NJ Sl 49, is s
were filed, and when more RED tape Is Is
gone through with an additional sum OIL
money will be coming to the members:
But this has been but a small part OF
tho work of the association through the
effort of Commissioner H. D. Drlscoll,
and s. c. Duckett, able assistant Tfey
freight rates revised to make 1t possible
for Topeka shippers to compete with ship
pers of other cities
1t was pointed out that the railways
seem inclined to do the fair thing and
have given the local bureau large
amount of assistance in their work.
Commissioner Dr1scoll, IN MS report
..The office of the Traffic association
was opened May Is, 1912, in the New Eng
land building The first few weeks were
devoted to acquiring the necessary tariffs
and becoming acquainted with the bust
ness of the several members;
I'VE now have a first class file or
tariffs which is becoming more complete
each day the older tariffs are being
reiSSued and supplemented; we nave a
splendid tariff case which makes it posi-
Bile to locate the several issues through
the index on the outside of each box.
''Considera BILE money has been saved for
members who phone to the office before
making payments for shipment. The aim
is to prevent overcharges rather than to
have adjusted claims for undercharges
where the estimated rates are higher than
the actual weight; in mistakes between
class and commodity rates; in differences
of car and less than carload rates; where
the roads have made mistakes in routing,
thus causing an overcharge."
Judge A. E. Helm, counsel for the pub
lie utilities commission, was the main
speaker at the meeting. George P. Nc
Entire, president of the association, pre-
sided over the meeting. the initial feature
of which was dinner served at $50
o clock.
recognized a legitimate field for the
business men to look after their interests
in the question of tariffs. The time of
carriers has gone by. The business men
find it necessary to have men to cope
with the representatives, of the carriers.
The railroads have their experts keen
high class men, looking after the interests
of the carriers. BY this method each side
will cease to denounce each other. They
will get together as business men should.
A great many injustices have been ad-
justed. There is system of favoritism
that has not been done away with-the
discrimination between cities and locali-
ties.
The steps of the railroad companies
are to make every engine pull a maxi
mum load, and to increase the minimum
weight shipments, from "A. 900 to
$1,000 pounds This latter will work to
the detriment of small shippers wO can
not afford to buy in such large carload
lots The traffic association can watch all
these things, and can check up the CLASH
ncationS.
The public utilities commission stands
ready to give both sides a hearing. me
people shall know what changes are pro-
posed and shall be heard before a change
shall be made as far as the state is con-
cerned. We hope to establish rates that