The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-04-06
BIG RATE FIGHT IS
BEGUN IN Topeka
CONTINUED from Page one.I


hauling passenger and the hauling
of mail and express?" asked j. L.
Bristow, chairman of the commission.
Divide Cost by Service.
1--WE divide the cost of service on
proportion to the Iineal foot of the
train" said the witness. Then he ex-
planned: IF a train is 800 feet long
and so foot of the train is given oyer
to the handling of mail and so foot to
the handling of express, we charge
one-sixth to mail, one-sixth to express
and two-thirdS to passenger.
And so it went through the eXami
nation. Peabody had apparently for
titled himself from every angle. He
directed the commissions attention to
the printed formula offered by the
railroads as the basis on which they
sought an increase in rates and urged
that the formula proved conclusively
that the roads were losing money on
the present rates. Every dollar of in
come from every conceivable source
seemed included in the formula and
Peabody seemed able to tell where eV-
cry penny was spent and who got the
money.
Classification of Traffic.
Peabody's testimony also went to
the classification of various kinds of
traffic. He told the commission that
the handling of traffic on local trains
was more expensive than on through
trains. One important factor in this
matter, he said was the frequent
stopping of local trains which added
to expense from a score of angles.
Preceding Peabodys testimony
Dunlap stated that rate application
for the railroads. He quoted fire.
quently from decision of the inter
state commerce commission in the re-
cent application of 5 per cent increase
IN freight rates. his argument was to
the effect that the present passenger
rate is not remunerative. Cost of
equipment, better service and faster
time had added to the expense without
adding anything to the income, he
said Then he read from the commits
sions ruling when it said:
1.-The real railroad question is the
just balancing of the mutual rights of
the public and of the carriers. The
travelling public is giving expression
to its demands for better service, bet
ter accommodations, and for the
adoption by carriers of all the devices
that make for safety. A public that
demands such a service can not rea-
sonably object to the payment of a
reasonable compensation therefor"
Dunlap held that the federal ruling
was in point in the Kansas case. On
that theory, the railroads will send
many of their high salaried officials to
Topeka to tell of conditions under the
TWO cent fare agreement in Kansas.
Railway Officials So
Among railroad officials and repre-
sentatives attending the hearing in
Topeka are:
Santa Fe: w. ]. Black, Chicago. pas
lap, Chicago, western SOLICITOR: James
Peabody, Chicago, statistician; G. w
Oliver, Chicago, assistant statistician;
J. M. Council, Topeka, general passen-
ger agent; w. r. Smith, Topeka, solicit
tor for Kansas. stEs
Missouri Pacific: B. p Waggener
Atchison, general solicitor; c.. L. Stone
st. Louis, passenger traffic manager;
T P. Johnson, st. Louis, assistant au-
ditor; w. p. Waggener,. Atchison
solicitor for Kansas.
Frisco: a. Hilton, St. Louis, pa ssen-
ger traffic manager; w. n. Press, ST.
Louis, statistician; t. A.. Hamilton, ST.
Louis. supervisor of efficiency; r.. R.
Vermillion. Wichita, solicitor for Kan
sas. sr
Missouri, Kansas & Texas: Earl Pea
body, ST. Louis. statistician; w. w.
Brown, Parsons. solicitor for Kansas;
J. G. Slonecker,. Topeka, assistant So
Hcitor.
Union Pacific: T. e. Stebbins, Oma-
ha, general auditor; R. w. Blair, To-
peka, solicitor for Kansas.
Rock Island: Il. F. May, Chicago,
comptroller; A. Hermany Chicago, as
sistant passenger traffic manager; ].
A. Stewart, Topeka, general passenger
agent; Paul E. Walker, Topeka, solicit
tor for Kansas.
Eyes on Topeka.
At least three well known Topeka
lawyers and general attorneys will