The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-10-19
Mandamus Against Telegraph
Corporation To-day.
|DISMAlTLED SYRACUSE OFFICE
Claim That Postal Deserted
Hamilton County.
Judge Helm Demands That In.
struments Be Restored.

In supreme court today. Justice
Clark A. Smith issued q mandamus
against the Kansas Postal Telegraph
Gable company. The application for
writ of mandamus was made by Judge
A. p. Helm, as attorney for the state
public utilities commission. on the
grounds that the utility in question
had violated q section Of the public
utilities law by dismautling tele-
graph office at Syracuse Hamilton
county, Kansas.
The public utilities commission has
gone to the mat with another powerful
corporation. The idea Is to discover
whether or not the corporation. which
does business In Kansas as THE Kan
sas Postal Telegraph Cable company %
which conforms with the Postal Tele-
graphs system Of incorporation in
each state. shall dismantle. ditch and
otherwise remove q telegraph office
without first consulting the public
utilities commission.
A state law requires that a telegraph
office shall be maintained In the cOun-
ty seat of each county through which
the telegraph line runs. but that is not
the grounds upon which Judge. A. E.
Helm, attorney for the public utilities
commission. has jumped the powerful
postal company. He bases his man
upon section 319 OF the law creating
the public utilities commission.
This paragraph states in part that.
whenever any common carrier or pub
lie utility governed by the provisions of
this act shall desire to make any
or classification of schedule charges. or
in any rule or regulation of practice
pertaining to the service or rates of
any such public utility or common car
rier, such public utility or common car
rier shall file with the public utilities
mil al. Atn
changes desired to be made and put
in force by such utility or common
carrier, and such changes shall be
plainly indicated by proper reference
marks. ct cetera."
It is shown by Judge Helms man
damus that the so-called Kansas Pos
tai Telegraph Cable company didn't file
anything of the sort. The only thing
filed by said PC company was the wire
leading into the Syracuse. Hamilton
county telegraph office. The telegraph
operator at that point got his orders
from headquarters; his not to reason
why. and he didn't. He merely packed
the tick-tick instruments in his valise
and beat it thence. on the 2sth day of
June. 1914. and has not been seen In
those parts since that time.
First, the residents of Syracuse and
Hamilton counties complained to the
public utilities commission of Kansas
The public utilities commission in turn
complained to the Kansas office of the
divided corporation, and that office
conferred with the home office in
New York. The New York office had
previously looked over the reports OF
the Office and decided that Syracuse,
Hamilton county, Kansas, could not
afford a telegraph office, because its
business didn't pay for the mainten-
ance of a dot-dash shop in that town.
And the public utilities commission OF
Kansas was SO informed.
A lot more wasted exchange Of let
tiers ensued, and then Judge Helm
went to bat. He desires that the Kan
sas Postal Telegraph Cable company
put back the Syracuse telegraph serv-
ice before November 2 or make answer
as to why not before November 20.