The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-12-17
Topeka IN FIGHT
Local Shippers Oppose Further
Railroad Control.
They Want Government To Re-
turn Lines to Owners.
HOGUELAND HAS A PLAN
He Will Urge Limited Private
Ownership, He Says.
Regional Control Plan Is Not
Favored Here.

Topeka it was announced today,
will take the lead in opposition, now IN
the process of mobilization, by west
ern shippers and representatives OF
the general public. to q continuation
of government railroad control. E.
II. Hugueland, commerce counsel Tor
the Topeka taffic association. an or
ganization comprised of practically all
the shippers of this city, declared that
.,aarly all his clients were opposed to
a continuation of government control
as an after the war measure" and to
the proposed regional plan, espe-
cially.
HogueIand declared that the ship
pers accepted the government control
plan on its face as war necessity, al
tho it Immediately worked hard
ship upon shippers and pubic. lie
announced a plan whereby he would
draft plan of limited private owner
ship bring it before Topeka shippers
end the Chamber of Commerce and
others for approval. and then place 1t
in the hands of Kansas congressman
and senators. The Topeka plan" will
also be certified to commercial bodies
and shipping associations in other
western cities.
Rates Are Objected To.
"One of the shippers big troubles
with the present plan of government
control lies in rate adjustments said
Eogueland. 1T used to be that the
shippers could go to a railroad freight
official and obtain some satisfaction as
to the esta blishment of new or spe-
cially and temporarily demanded
rates. Now the application goes thru a
series of red tape which isn't I'M
wound. in many cases, until IT is too
late for practical use. The shippers
are also suffering from lack OF ser
vice due to curtailment of train ser
vice. They are not being given ade-
quate service. and the cost of running
the railroads is more than under pri-
waite ownership"
Might Hit City Hard.
The regional plan of operating the
railroads under government control
may have sinister meaning to To-
pelsa. 1t is proposed that the country
he divided into regions, with region
nj base from which the territory en-
braced would be directed and gov
erncd. This, apparently, would mean
that the headquarters of all railroads
in the specified territory would be at
the base. If this should be the case
topeka might lose a large part of its
santa Fe payroll, not to mention abou:
S2,0C0,000 il railroad improvements,
manned under private ownership and
abandoned temporarily when govern
mont control became effective. These
improvements included a new Santa
IT, general office building, with equiv
:,cnt Rock island and Union Pacific
improvements.
CtrtaiI Train Service.
The regional plan would also APP
parently cut down to a great extent
more of Topeka's train service. And,
by throwing the railroad headquarters
into the bases. to be established in
larger cities. the remainder of the re-
gional territory and small cities would
be robbed of much of the development
they enjoyed under private ownership.
Hogucland, in his Topeka plan"
does not contemplate the advocation
CT a strict private ownership, but
claims that a limited private owner
ship with a governing hand by COM
missions would be adequate.