The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-01-02
TRYING TO JUNK IT
That Is Charge Against New
Operators of the L. & I.
Ruin Road To Eliminate Com
petition Is Patrons Belief.
IT HAS STRATEGIC VALUE NOW
Most Direct Route From Leav-
enwOrth to Fl. Riley.
Citizens Along Route Point Out
Advantages of Line.
IT HAS STRATEGIC Value NOW

That the sale of the Leavenworth
& Topeka railway by the Union Pa
cific and Santa Fe to a private owner
is merely a move to junk the road and
eliminate competition; that it was sold
to relative of W. A. Austin, receiver
suggested by the utilities commission.
at a ridiculously low price are charges
made to Congressman d. r. Anthony,
Jr, by residents of jefferson county
situated on the orphan road.
A suit has been instituted in the
federal court asking that an order be
given dismantling the L. & T. track
from Ozawkie to Meriden Junction.
and that the proceeds of the sale be
used to pay debts. a hearing on this
matter is scheduled in Judge Pollock S
court at Kansas City next Saturday.
Congressman Anthony has appealed
TO Director General McAdoo urging
him to interfere. Prominent citizens
of Ozawkie. Oskaloosa. McLouth ard
IeaVenworth have kept the mails hot
between their home towns and Wash
ington.
OF Strategic Value.
Appeals are based upon the strate-
gic value of the road as the most di-
rect route between Fort Leavenworth
and Fort Riley and also from a COM
mercial point of view. 1t is pointed
out that if the road is properly man
aged there is not a better feeder in the
state and furthermore it is emphasized
that it is short cut for eastern ship
ments to Topeka.
The statement is made by O. A
Kendall, cashier of the Ozawkie State
bank that the fact that the Wolff
Packing company of Topeka ships
more than one-half of the hogs killed
over the L. & t is an argument in IA
Nor of the transportation value of the
road.
In fact, Mr. Kendall injects consid-
cradle fresh, pure, wholesome country
air in the shroud covering transactions
OF the L. & T In letter to Congress
man Anthony, he says, in full:
LAS a confirmation of our telegra m
TO you requesting that you ask the
proper government authority to re-
quest Judge Pollock not to issue an
order to dismantle the Leavenworth &,
Topeka track from Ozawkie to Meri-
den and to inform you of some of the
recent events concerning this, 1 want
to give you this information.
You know the receivership and sale
of the Leavenworth & Topeka railroad
to man by name of Wells, a brother
in-law of w. A. Austin, the receiver.
at price considerably less than the
junk values of the rails alone. That
since the purchase Mr. Wells has con-
tinued to operate the road under the
receivership, giving the public utilities
y.
That he, Wells, was afraid that if
he did not have the protection of the
court the Santa Fe would abrogate
the contract agreement permitting the
use of the track from Meriden to To-
peka, recently Cancelled by mutual
agreement
Topekans Tried to Help.
when it was rumored that an at
tempt would be made to junk this
road, the patrons tributary to Topeka
met with Topeka wholesale business
concerns and they agreed to divert
eastern shipments over the Leaven-
worth & Topeka railroad and at
tempted to do-this.
This evidently was not what Mr.
Wells desired, for a few days later the
l.. & T. bridgeman condemned the
bridge over the Delaware at Ozawkie
We Immediately complained TO the
public utilities commission and they
arranged to have the bridge inspected
by their own engineer. 1t was found
that it would take $500 to repair both
these bridges.
Our conclusions are. that Mr.. Wells
bought this road with the object OF
3unking it, the rails alone being worth
about $4,000 at present market price
which would give him a liberal profit
over the price paid for the road; his
operation has been with this object
in view and managed so it would be
Improbable"
Mr.. Kendall goes on to say the