The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-11-11
A new MOVE.
Stockyards Co. Must Make Inn
prOvements Anyway.

without That Million I'm Stock
New Suit to Be Filed. !.
Now that the Kansas City Connect
ing Railway company has failed 70
lars worth Of stock for the proposed
three miles of terminal extensions. 1T
is facing q possible order from either
the state courts or the public utilities
commission which would compel 1t to
make the proposed stockyards inn
provements and extensions at its own
expense as q necessary part Of the
plant. That action will be taken to
compel the stockyards company to
make the proposed improvements -
the belief of many people who have
followed the course Of the proceedings
before the public utilities commission.
Just at this time the men who pro-
NOTED the connecting railway company
and own the stockyards company are
undecided as to the course they will
take in an effort to compel the utili-
ties commission to grant them per-
init to sell a million dollars worth OF
| stock and to operate their bobtail line
| Of side tracks as common carrier.
They have emphatically declared that
| they will fight the commissions order
denying them the right to do business.
But, while the stock yards company
Is conducting this fight. it IL claimed
that another suit will be brought to
compel the stockyards company to in
stall the trackage and added equip
ment which the company sought to
capitalize at a million dollars.
Testimony Before Commission.
| It is claimed that the testimony Of
fered by the stock yards company was
clearly to the effect that the extra
trackage, pens. chutes and equipment
proposed to be built as soon as q mil
lion dollars capitalization was ap-
proved, was a needed and much re-
quired extension of the present Kan
sas City stockyards plant. On this tes-
| timony. 1t is possible that the Kansas
stock shippers will base their demands
for the improvements. II they are
needed-and the stock yards company
| admits they are-then it is commended
that an order from the public utilities
commission Is all that is necessary to
force the extension.
That is the situation which the
stock yards company seems to be
| facing at this time. Only q few months
| ago the company planned the incor-
poration of the Kansas City Connect
big dividends added to the dividends
which the stock yards company Is pay
ing at the present time. So the stock
yards company went before the uttl1-
ties commission with a request for a
charter, permission to do business as
I a common carrier and further per-
4 NIT to sell a million dollars worth OF
stock. Their further plan was to have
the railroads absorb all of the charges
for switching and terminal facilities
and on these absorbed charges, the
stock yards company. doing business
as the terminal railway company,
| would pay dividends. Since the ter
/ mfnal charges were to be absorbed by
1no do a q
stock shippers could not complain and
that no one but the railroads would
be hurt. = g e -
Then came the fight before the pub
to sell the million dollars worth of
stock was denied and the stock yards
company's plan to reap new benefits
through the improvement Of its own
facilities was blocked. at least for the
! present. *t4
Now it is claimed that the utilities
commission can order the stock yards
company to make the improvement
| and the possible action to be taken in
this matter is Of interest to hundreds
state.
| shippers Are to Meet.
A meeting of the Kansas stockmen
| has been called for December 10 and
will be held in Representative hall. At
| that meeting formal organization OF
the stock shippers will be formed and
the proposed fight for the betterment
of conditions and service in the Kan
sas City stock yards will be discussed.
Among other things, the stockmer will
probably arrange to keep q salarfed
secretary in the stock yards district
and this man will look after the inter-
ests of the stockmen and protect them
in the matter of losses damages and
delays in the handling of live stock In
the Kansas City yards.
Several hundred stock shippers are
expected to attend the Topeka meeting
| and an organized effort to secure i'm
proved service and better rates will
be made by the Kansas dealers. Ono
Of the things that the shippers desire
| is improved service in the stock yards
But they feel that they are now pay
ing ample prices to secure first class
service and they object to any policy
which will cause them to directly Oh
indirectly meet any extra terminal ex-
pense. And it is to dodge this trouble
| and still secure the needed service
that a plan is being discussed to brine
suit either before the state courts OF
the utilities commission to compel the
| stock yards company to install and
maintain at its own expense the pro-
posed extensions
| PLAY AT ST. MARYS.