A Modern Locomotive and One of 1880.

Railroad Regulation. There has been but little railroad building in Kansas for a number of years for the State is now fairly well supplied. Almost every county now has one or more railroads. In the earlier years the important thing was to get the railroads. Having secured them, the matter of chief concern has been to regulate them. During the late ’70’s much dissatisfaction arose because railroad rates were high, and several attempts were made to place the matter of rate regulation under the control of the State. In 1883 a law was passed creating a Railroad Commission of three members. This Commission was given a great deal of power, especially in regard to revising and establishing rates, and in adjusting disputes between the railroads and their patrons. Within a few years, through the efforts of the Commission together with the increase in business resulting from a growing population, rates were reduced almost half. Since its work proved to be of great service to the people the Commission was continued. In 1911 the Railroad Commission became the Public Utilities Commission, which was given control over all such corporations as railroads, electric lines, and telegraph and telephone systems, in matters that are of interest only to this particular State. In matters that concern more than one state the Interstate Commerce Commission may act.

When the United States entered the World War it became evident that one of the big problems to be met was that of transportation, within our own country, of men and supplies. The solution decided upon was that of government control of the railroads, which was secured by placing a director-general in charge of all the railroads of the United States. It was provided that this control might be continued for a period of twenty-one months after the close of the war.

Interurban Lines. Within recent years our means of transportation have been increased by the building of electric railway lines. They usually extend from one city to another, and are therefore called interurban lines. Most of those already built are in the southeastern part of the State. Plans were under way for a number of additional lines, but the coming of the War checked practically all of this work. The return of normal conditions will doubtless see a large increase in interurban mileage.

Road Improvement. The building of railroads did not make wagon roads less important, but more so, for there must be plenty of good roads if the people are to make full use of the railroads. The development of roads in this State has been going forward since the earliest days. Time, money, and effort are required to build roads in a new country, and during the years that Kansas has been engaged in this great task many different plans have been tried out and many road laws have been passed from time to time, but it was not until after Congress passed an act providing federal aid in road making that a unified plan for the whole State became a fact. This act was passed in 1916, and Kansas accepted its provisions in 1917. Since that time remarkable progress has been made. A system of State highways forming a network over the entire State has been selected, thousands of miles of which are “federal-aid roads”; a complete system of connecting county roads has been designated; information has been compiled and distributed concerning the making of different kinds of roads, as earth, oiled earth, gravel, water-bound macadam, bituminous macadam, asphaltic concrete, concrete, and brick; bridge and culvert building have been standardized; and many miles of hard-surfaced roads have already been built or are in process of construction. Road building in Kansas is now progressing at a rate far beyond that of any time in the past.

Motor Truck Service. Much of the attention now being given to road improvement has been brought about by the rapidly increasing use of the automobile. During the earlier years of the automobile it was used chiefly for the transportation of passengers, but the development of the motor truck is making it an important factor in freight transportation. Many lines of motor truck service already have been established in the State, but on account of the uncertain condition of most of the roads the service is necessarily irregular. With the building of hard-surfaced roads the motor truck will no doubt soon become a fully established part of our transportation system.

SUMMARY

Railroad construction was begun in the United States about 1830. By 1850 railroads reached as far west as St. Louis. Many stage lines were established in early Kansas. The first railroad was built in Kansas in 1860; the line extended from Elwood to Marysville. The Union Pacific was built through Kansas between 1862 and 1869. The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway was completed in 1872. In the meantime a number of other roads were built. The railroads received large grants of land, which they sold to settlers, thereby raising money and increasing business. They advertised Kansas widely. The people soon found it necessary to regulate the railroads, and created for this purpose the Railroad Commission, now the Public Utilities Commission. Besides the various railroad systems of the State, there are many interurban lines and a rapidly growing motor truck service. Great progress in road improvement is being made.

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