The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1889-08-15

sponsible for rates which were really made
by roads outside Of the Associations. The
Commanders were invited TO n second in
terview July 8, but did not attend; and
since then the Chairmen have had no COM
munication from them OF any other officer
of the G.A.R.
The Chairmen then proceed to discuss the
attacks made upon the roads they represent.
They say that these publications are based
on:
/. The lower fares made for prior National
Encampments
2 The fares for the German Turner's at
Cincinnati, Sioux City Corn Palace, etc.
3. The question of profit to the roads.
Replying 10 the first, the Chairmen say:
In 1853, at Denver; in 1884, nj Minneapolis; in
1875 Portland Me- and In 1885, ut San Francisco,
the rate officially made through The country and
adhered 10 by the railways mol less Than one
fare for the round trip In 1857. al 81. Louis one
fare similarly the general basis; but suhse-
quently some OF the local lines within radius Of
ness and reduced their rate 10 cent per mile, but
the roads outside Of this radius nevertheless main
ained The one-fare basis In 1855 MT Columbus, o.,
a rate Of | cent per mile made bat the roads
found by experience that il not paying rate.
To some Of them The actual cost Of handling eK-
eeeded the revenue received, the general result
being loss. Subsequently, when the articles OF
these Associations revised, She railway man.
ayers adopted in january ast rule that while
4
should be made for any number Of people under
500, the minimum rate for larger gathering shall
NOS be less than fare Tor the round trip" Upon
tllis minimum basis the railways Of the country
have made ilse rate Tor the q. n. EBeampmcnt 10
be held Ia Milwaukee. In neither Of the Asso-
Citations represented by the undersigned has any
lower rate than one fare been made for any num-
Der however large, since the adoption Of the rule.
To correct a further misrepresentation which has
been made public Il Is but fair That should state
that the rule thus adopted by these Associations
was tle result OF the unanimous vote of all the
lines therein and that II Is not just hold any in
diyiduAi line or lines responsible therefor.
The main difficulty about this statement
is the reconciliation Of the assertion that the
railroads lost money at cent mile with
that in the next paragraph:
fare q per mile that this would result IN
advancing many rates from seaboard cities 10 Nil
waukee and return.
For illustration: The average distance from New
York 10 Milwaukee, aud return is2Ii6 miles which
would make fare u s2l.I5, while we propose 10
charge bat Sls55. slGl less. One cent per mile
from Boston, Philadelphia and other Eastern
points is also more than Rsk. The distance
from PiiisbuTg averages .i96 miles for the round
- F.r
difference At issue OF only sl.o9. Tie difference
will be iess than 81 from Buffalo.
That is, the railroads in the West, which
viii carry three fourlhs Of the visitors to
the Encampment, win lose money at a cent
a mile, but the Eastern roads, which will do
relatively small portion Of the business,
will make profit by carrying them at less
/ than cent mile. This is an amazing
business proposition. The general-we
might almost say exceptionless-rule is
/ that the more business q road has the
cheaper it can do business. Indeed, the
plea made by Western roads to support
their high freight and passenger tariffs has
been that they had so little business in
comparison with the Eastern roads that they
had TO make double rates in order TO have
any profit. Now, when the railroads be-
tween the Ohio and Missouri Rivers win
carry at least four comrades to one carried
by the roads east Of the Ohio they cannot
afford TO make as low rates because the vol
ume Of business is so great. What nom
sense!
The Chairmen fling out this grain Of COM
fort 10 the victims:
The fare most complained Of by the Commanders
was thai made between Chicago and Cincinnati Of
So for the round-sFp behalf Of the German Tnr.
ners That rate IL now again in force a rate war
fare having broken out between The roads In the
| Chicago and Ohio River Traffic Association which,
association il moi responsible to the associations
represented by either Of the undersigned
Possibly, however, the Grand Army may avail IT,
self Of this rate IL II should continue In force mp Ia
the date Of its EBeampmenl; il 30 the fare will be
but Gye-sixtlis Of ] cent per mile TO Chicago and
return.
All this does not explain away the fact
that for three consecutive Encampments. the
comrades have been carried for 1 cent a
mile, and the business was very profitable
Tie declarations Of the Chairmen that il is
not are nullifed by their own admissions
that roads outside Of their Associations still
find it so, and are eager TO do business on
! that basis.
They go on TO say:
Tie general result is that on the great bulk OF
the travel, snd ia the largest area cast OF Chicago