The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-04-23
TO TAKE 3 YEARS
Railway Presidents in Topeka
Tell OF Conditions.
Reconstruction Period To Be
Long, Hard Fight.
BANQUET At C.0F C.LAST NIGHT
More Than $50 Business Men
Greet the Officials.
Celebration of Return of Rail-
roads to Owners.
BANQUET At C.OF C.LAST NIGHT

That improvements to the railroad
lines will not come at once and that
the roads hope for the patience and
forbearauce Of the public during the
period OF reconstruction OF almost
strapped railway systems were the
salient points brought out by all rail-
way officials wig spoke Thursday
night at the railroaders banquet at
the Chamber OF Commerce.
The dinner vas given. in a sense, TO
celebrate the return Of the roads to
their owners. W B. Storey. president
OF the santa Fe. and Carl r Gray.
president OF the Union Pacific. were
the principal speakers. They out
lined the troubles facing all railway
systems in the United States.
The railroad presidents pointed out
that during the twenty-siN months the
government directed their business.
more attention was given political
phases than in securing efficiency and
keeping the property in good running
condition. Both Storey and Gray be
lieve that il will take at least three
years to get the roads back to the
financial and physical condition they
enjoyed before the war
Need 500. 900 Box Cars.
President storey declared that the
I = l.
He then added that if all the manu-
facturers ran at fun capacity. they
could only produce at the rate Of 200
600 per year. He pointed out that
even if they could be obtained. the
roads had Ro' idea where they could
raise the money to pay for them
President Gray framed his talk in
an unusual manner. Realizing that
not all the men at the banquet were
railroad men. ne took the you" stand
point to hammer home his points
Imagine" said President Gray,
slowly and quietly, that the govern
ment told you that on midnight of a
certain day il would take over, run
and operate your own business, and
pay you what it deemed right, for the
privilege"
Stopping long enough for lima gina
ton TO grasp it from that standpoint.
he sketched the history Of business
transactions up to the time when sud
denly your property was handed
back. battered bent. stock depleted.
equipment worn out, everything in the
worst possible shape. Nothing had
been given back to you with your
business as a working capital.
Now what could you expect from
your banker" Gray queried. If you
should go to him with a story like
that
Other Talks Last Night.
Elmer F. Strain, president of the
! Chamber of Commerce, presided at the
meeting o. B. Cutler, of the Poehler
I Mercantile company. speaking from
the standpoint of the shipper, made
( the address of welcome to the railroad
men. He declared that business men
were in accord with the return of the
roads to their owners. that the gov
eminent operation killed skilled per-
sonnet and that one good result of
the deal had been a greater under
[ standing of railroad problems on the
I part of the public.
/ In addition to W. 3. Storey, Carl r.
/ Gray and o. B. Cutler. Strain also in
! troduced Luther Burns. general attor-
ney for the Rock Island; F. E Nipps.
| city passenger agent for the Missouri
/ Pacific. and Judge J. g. SlOnecker, To-
! cal representative of the Missouri,
( Kansas & Texas.
! Besides about fifty railrOader guests,
/ there was an attendance of more than
I $50 prominent Topeka business men,
| The railroad men seemed to take a
| great deal of pleasure in the ceIebra-
! ton.