The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-02-06
FAIR PLAY FOR RAILROADS.

"A Blku1l1C8nl Change IA Inc tS1A1P<A
of the law-making Representatives OF
the people in q most important partic-
ular is noticeable in the present ses-
sion Of the Kansas legislature. There
appears to be little inclination on the
part of its members to hammer the
railroads right and left, and below as
we'll rs above the belt. Ten. eight, and
six years ago. and even more recently.
conditions were different in this re-
spect. The major detectives of the
legislatures of those periods seemed
to concern. anti-railroad legislation.
The railroad baiters monOpOlixed the
legislative floors and their efforts to
regulate" the railroads in every pos
sible direction seemed to be more or
less popular with their constituents.
Four full weeks Of the present legis-
lative session have passed. and about
every conceivable kind of legislation
has been discussed in both houses ex-
cept railroad legislation. Aid this is
not due to any dearth of railroad bills.
The usual grist of them has been
dropped into the legislative hopper.
But they do not seem to be attracting
much of the attention Of the legisla-
tors. And this is well.
During the past few weeks, the rail-
roads doing business in Kansas. have
been running a series of paid adver-
tisements in most of the newspapers
in the state setting forth the facts
about the conditions under which they
are operating. These facts present
strong case in the railroads behalf
They show, primarily, that while ev-
erything that the railroads have had
to buy and use during the last few
years, including the large item Of la
Dor. have steadily advanced in cost.
while the revenue Of the roads has
either remained stationary or been re-
duced through a cutting down of rates
by governmental authority, state and
national. In no instance, except the
recent increase in freight rates that
granted to the eastern railroads. have
the railroads been permitted by this
same authority to advance any Of their
rates SO as to make their revenues
more commensurate with their in
creased operating expenses. The facts
also are that the railroads have been
put to large expenses during the past
few years by ill-advised legislation OF
one sort or another, and from which
the public, the travelling and shipping
public. has provided little or no bene-
fit. So the point has been reached by
the railroads where it is impossible
for them to extend their service to
meet the demands Of a growing and
developing country. Indeed. the pros
poets are that If they are not accord
ed some relief in the matter of in
creased rates. they will even be COM
PEELED to curtail their present service
or face the alternative Of passing div
idends and eventually going into bank
ruptcy.
This is the case that the railroads
have presented to the public in a fair.
open and above board manner. and
there is little doubt but the public is
now in a mood that at least fair play
shall be given to the railroads. And it
is only reasonable to assume that the
inactivity Of the legislature thus far
in pressing any of the anti-railroad
legislation before it, is no more than
a legislative response to this public
mood, as well as an Intelligent dispo-
sition on the part of the legislators
not to harass further the already
hard-pressed railroads.
Railroad regulation by public au-
thority is necessary. Even the rail-
roads now concede this. But in re-
cent years the public regulation Of the
railroads has gone to unreasonable
extremes. That a wise public senti-
ment has finally. developed against a
continuation of such indefensible tao
tics is a great good thing for all con-
cerned, the public as we'll as the rail-
roads. Without the very best of rail-
road service, the business activities of
the people of every state, and the ma
ton as a whole, will be seriously in
terfered with, and the necessary de-
velopment of the country will be stop
ped. And this is a matter of much
more concern to the western section
Of the country than it is to the eastern
section, for the railroad facilities out
here are not nearly as adequate as
they should be.