The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-01-20
Would Cause Rebuilding Of
Every CabO0se in State.
THE SEMI-MonTHlY PAY BILL
Railroad Committee Acted Fa-
vOrably ON Davis Bill.
Other Items of General Interest
in the Traffic World.

An act which would require .u
building Of every railway cAooose
used in state OF Kansas s,, 20 nv
posed in senate bill %, INTRODUCED ~
/. M. Mahin of Smith Center "nicn
was recommended for passage las'
night by the committee On rallroaus'
of which the author of the bill Is cnan
man. The committee also acteu ID
yorably upon the Davis Dill iol
semi-monthly payday Ior IN. ~.
ployees of all corpora.; was at
state. Last nights meetlng was
tended by representatives OF the lou.
roads entering Topeka. who poin.eu
out the confiscatory features III po,i
bills which, if enacted into law wou.u
entail almost endless expense anu
noyance to the railroads with ques-
tionable returns in bettered service 10
the public. +no+
senator Mahin's bill proposes tnat
the cabooses used on stock trains De
equipped with transverse seats lnsteau
of the long ones which the railroads
have constructed to provide sleeping
places for the shippers who are car
ried free by the roads Wnen moving
stock to market. In explaining the
merits of his bill Senator Mahin told
the committee that women are occa-
sionally compelled to use the ca
bosses and that as at present ar
ranged the cars have no adequate
provision for their comfort. Discuss
ing il before the committee the rail-
way representatives last night admit
ted this fact but pointed out tnat
stock trains are run for stock and not
for passengers and that the hauling
of the latter under any circumstances
on stock trains is merely an unproht-
able accommodation already extended
by the railroads to the public.
Eighty per cent of the railroad men
in Topeka have bank accounts ana
transact their business with bank
checks, according to a statement made
last night by z. L. Copeland, treas
urer of the Santa Fe,- who quoted a
Topeka banker in his argument be-
fore the committee against the SEMI
monthly pay bill. This bill, he con-
tended holds no particular advantage
for the majority OF the employees OF
the railroads, a statement which was
partially conceded by labor represen-
tatives present. Treasurer Copeland
said that the additional clerical cost
of complying with such regulation
would amount to not less than $4,000
year in the Santa Fe's business in
Kansas and that it would be proper
tionately~ heavy with all roads. -
Railway representatives at the COM
mittee meeting included A. DeBer-
nardi, general superintendent of the
Missouri Pacific at Kansas City; r. w.
Blair. general attorney for the Union
Pacific, Topeka: c. W. Kouns. general
manager; w. r. Smith, general at
torney, and E. L. Copeland. treasurer,
all of the Santa Fe at Topeka, and A.
f.. Sweet, general manager, and Paul
Walker, general attorney, Rock Is
land, Topeka.
The gathering crowded the narrow
quarters of committee room No. 81,
which has been assigned to the COM
mittee on railroads and corporations.
Senator Nighswonger, who likes fresh
air, stood the close quarters as long
as he comfortably could last night,
but he finally got his coat and hat,
with the remark:
IF the state of Kansas can't fur
nish more commodious quarters for
as important Il committee as this one,
it will hav~ to get along without me-"
And he went homo