St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-01-10

and Cincinnati, for the reason that the
volume of business out of those cities is
so much larger than it is between st.
Paul and Minneapolis that the cOmpari-
son is hardly a fair one. and you do not
state the average distance for which the
rates are charged.
As to the rates out of Chicago-we are
charging very low rates OH our short
suburban buSineSS-lower. as l claim,
| than we can afford TO do it, even with
| the volume of business. which is much
| larger than that between st. Paul and
| Minneapolis. On our Evanston division
| for the month of September we carried
1000 passengers; for the same month
We carried between st. Paul and Mime
| apOlis 10000 passengers.
| / am not familiar with the reasons
| which led the Chicago, Burlington IL
| Northern to make so low rate to and
| from st. Paul Park. AS | view it, there
is loss in that rate. The Wisconsin
Central Railroad company informed me
that their rates between st. Paul and
| Castle are entirely too low, and that
the trains do not pay their running eX-
| penSeS. do not believe that passen-
| gers can be carried any distance on
steam roads for the rates established by
the Chicago, Burlington & Northern,
Wisconsin Central and Minnesota &
| Northwestern without Il loss. No rail
road can afford to do street car bust
| ness, because they cannot take up and
| discharge passengers at every crossing.
and the expense of their permanent
right of way, its maintenance and the
rolling stock, all being of more sub
| Stantial character than is used in the
| street car service, is very much greater.
and think you will find upon inveSti-
| CATION that the cost to street ear COM
panies of carrying their passengers,
| even with the favorable circumstances
| of less expense for equipment, less eX-
pensive roadway and maintenance.
leaves so small a margin in their fares
| for profit that their volume must be eX
| ceedingly large to pay.
There is another consideration that
| influences us in this mattsr. That is
| that through the action of the railroad
| commissioners of Minnesota, we have
been subjected 20 such unreasonable
reductions, both of freight and paSsen-
ger rates, that our ability to make
further reductions is seriously impaired.
ROSWELL MILLER, General Manager.
To the above the committees reply
make ''street car" rates betty eu G..
Paul and Minneapolis, but that tbs re is
plenty of room for a
SUBSTANTIAL REDUCTION
| from present rates, which are The high
| est charged on any part of the Milwau-
| kee & st. Paul systems cents per mile.
| The committee says: 1--WE do not know,
| and you do not suggest any reason why
| the large volume of travel between
these two cities should for example pay
more than the mileage ticket rate of 2
cents per mile OH single trips. with
such less rates on round-trips and conf
mutation tickets as would be proper
| tiOnal."
To this Mr.. Miller replies that in as
| Stunning that the volume of business be-
tween the two cities is such as to justify
less rate of fare, the committee begS
the question, and asserts that in his
| opinion the volume does not justify
less rate. He thinks that the CONNER
| cial travellers tickets could be used be-
tween the two cities, and thus the
| people could get the benefit of the two
| cent rate.
| GENERAL MANAGER MANvEL'S REPLY.
General Manager Marvel, of the Man
| itOba. replied that the time had not come
| when the rates should be made as low
| between the two cities. as from Boston,
| New York. Philadelphia or Chicago, for
the reason that the Eastern roads carry
more people. their operating expenses
| formly distributed over the entire year,
| so that the equipment required is much
| less. and its earning capacity greater
even at lower rates. The local rates
| named on other lines are helped out, as
| | am informed, either by guarantee or
! by contingent interests that produce
higher revenue to the railway company
than would appear from the rates at
which tickets are sold. 1t is not believed
| from our experience that any reduction
in rates would specially stimulate or in
| crease business, as it is not character
| of travel that is designated as '.subur-
ban;'' it is commercial travel almost
| wholly, and in its character not unlike
| that passing between New York and
| Philadelphia, where the rate one way
| 80 mileS-iS $3.50; round trip $3.50, Oh a
| Scribe ticket 800. This, [ think the
| committee will admit, is not as low, rela-
lively, considering the distance travelled
| and the volume of the traffic, as the rate
| we now make between st. Paul
and Minneapolis. L suppose the
committee is aware that we
now have Oh sale twenty-five
| ride tickets, good for 80 days, at s.
each; a Stride ticket, good for 60 days,
| at $40 each, and expect to put Oh sale
| Jan. 100-ride ticket, good for 60 days,
| for SIS. This surely provides, at low
| rate, ticket that covers the frequent
| use of which you speak" Mr.. Maxwell
| then calls the attention to the low rates
| the roads have made during the sum
mer for conventions and other large
| organizations, and also to the general
| low rates of summer travel and the
| efforts the roads are continually making
to attract people to the Northwest, and
! claims that it is unreasonable to ask his
IN OFF i
| in older communities. where the cOndi-
tons are different. He says also that
| the application is made also at time
| when the business of the road is least
and expense of operating greatest, and
| concludes by saying that the company
does not think the rates now in effect
are unreasonable. or that they ought at
| the present time to be reduced.
MIR. TRUESDALE'S IDEAS.
Mr.. Truesdale, of the Minneapolis &
| st. Louis road, in replying to the COM
munication of the committees, says that
| his road is doing but a very small part
| of the passenger business between the
two cities, and that the trains that are
run are run principally for the accom-
mediation of the suburban passengers
who live nearest stations on the line of
road he manages between the two cities.
| and who would be greatly incOnven-
! fenced should the trains be withdrawn.
| These passengers are almost altogether
| carried on communication tickets, and the
| revenue derived therefrom barely paws
| the running of the trains. He thinks
| his road is doing the business as low as
| it can.
The whole matter was laid over for
| one week.
| WILL THERE BE WINE?
| A resolution from the MINNEAPOLIS
chamber of commerce. favOring an inn
mediate reduction of the surplus in the
United States treasury and suggesting
Legislation that would have the effect of
reducing the cost Of the necessaries of