Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1886-09-24
Hate. Of RAILROAD Fnre.,

People frequently speak Of the legal limitation of
fares on the New York Central road to two cents
mile and wonder why the rule is not establish
ed in Vermont The reason is because the volume OF
travel here does not warrant it.-Rattdnd HeTdtd.
This is from an editorial in the Herald
commenting approvingly on that portion of
Mr.. Crosby's article of last week which pro-
tests against sweeping and indiscriminate
abuse of the railroads. The Herald means
to be entirely fair, as does The Phoenix, in
drawing the line between railroad uses and
abuses, but we think there is quite another
side from that here suggested to this ques-
ton of railroad fares. 1t is true that the
volume of travel in Vermont does not equal
that along the line of the New York Central
railroad One reason for this is that the pop
ulation here is less than it is there, and an
other reason is that the rates of local fares
are more than twice as high. Low fares in
variably stimulate travel and all experience
has shown that travel increases inversely as
fares are reduced. The volume of local trav-
el in Vermont could not in any case be made
to equal that on the trunk lines in New York
or Massachusetts, but all persons of the req
uisite experience and observation can recall
thinly populated sections in both those states
where the local travel on the railroads largely
exceeds the travel in Vermont, and for no
apparent reason except that the rates of fares
are from 25 to SO per cent. less. If our own
rates between Bellows Falls on the north and
Greenfield on the south were reduced from
four cents per mile to three we believe that
good many more than four people would ride
where three do now and if 2! or cents
per mile rate, according to distance, prevail
ed throughout this state we believe that there
would be a proportionate increase in the
amount of travel for the longer distances.
But this is not all there is to this problem.
The free pass abuse enters into it to a far
greater extent than the average observer re-
Allies or imagines. II all people who travel
on the railroads paid their fares, or if only
those rode free who have some legitimate
connection with the management of the roads,
the result would be such an increase of reve-
nues as would warrant the railroad companies
in reducing their rates far below their pres
ent figures. Every Vermont traveller who
has noticed the number of free passes pre-
scented to the conductor on nearly every train
will agree to the truth of this statement. The
men who ride free are almost invariably those
who can best afford to pay, but who because
of some social, personal or political influence
secure the doubtful privilege of riding with
out paying. We say doubtful" because the
abuse has grown to be so great that self-re-
specting people have come to feel small salts
faction in riding at some ones else expense
for those who do pay, pay the bills of those
who do not pay. The farmers, the mechan-
les, the business men pay the fares of men
who are carried free under a system of gross
and unjust fayoritsm.
The railroad people are not alone to be
blamed for this state of things. The pres
sure on them is constant and great. Proba-
bly, they are entitled to credit for the mum.
Der of appeals which they resist, 1t is not
long since Charles Francis Adams, a man
who has made railroad management life.
long study and who is a strenuous advocate
of clean and equitable methods made pub
lie declaration showing to what extent the
false system which has grown up has become
burden ON the railroads. In this, as in the
matter of a suitable railroad commission law,
we believe the advantage of wise and restrain,
ing legislation would be mutual between the
railroads and the people. The common PEG
ple'-the people who pay their own bills al
home and abroad and ask no special favors in
their own behalf of anybody, have remain,
ed quiet and indifferent in this matter long
enough II their representatives in the com
ing legislature are awake to the spirit and de-