Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-03-27
THE TARIFF-sHEET PROBLEM.


CHICAGO, March 26-Chicago railroad
men are anxiously awaiting the forthcom-
ing decision of the interstate commerce
commission relative to the posting of COM
plete tariffs in two conspicuous places IN
each station. No two of, the railway
men agree on the present interpre-
tation of the law, and are simply resting
on their oars pending the decision which
the commission will make in April.
Said Vice President McMullen, OF the
Alton: Unless the present Interpretation
of the law is changed it must end in rates
only to principal points being quoted, if it
does not go further and compel the quota
tioli only of local rates. Many OF the
stations would not begin to hold the tari1
sheets after they had began to multiply.
There are thousands of stations where the
publication of rates would cost SlO0 Tor
every cent taken IN. suppose,
then, man wanted to go from
station on the Alton to a small
station in California. He would be COM
PEELED to buy a new ticket and recheck his
baggage on every new line. Nine times
out of ten he would get left. This quoting
of joint tariffs, by which a passenger can
buy a ticket and check his baggage from
any station in the United States to any
other station, is not a cent IN the pockets
of the railroads: in fact it costs them
monay. for the roads have to pay Tor the
Limiting and handling of the tickets and
then pay commissions. 1t Is simply
convenience to the public. The present
Interpretation of the law simply
sets us back a quarter of a century. When
l first came west had to buy tickets ana
recheck my baggage four different times
from Albany to Chicago. Suppose man
had to do it now, Suppose a woman mad
to do it? But that is exactly what they
will have to do unless the interstate com
merce commission makes aditferent ruling
and look how much worse 1t Will De IN
freight matters. 1t would simply bank
rupt the roads to quote rates TO all points
Then shippers can not get through way
bills. and how are you going to get ship
ments from station on one road 10 one on
another? If no tariff is quoted the freight
will simply stop at its terminal or trans
fer point"
General Manager st. John, of the Rock
Island, was equally emphatic IN his
declaration that the present lnterpreta-
ton of the law would compel the With
drawal of rates to all except large points.
Said he: I'VE simply can't post the rates
to all points. Our stations wouldn't be
large enough to hold the tariff sheets.
Unless a change is made we will probably
be compelled to quote only local rates"
General Passenger Agent Eustls, OF
the Burlington, did not take such
pessimistic view of the mat
ter. Said he: at is all right
to compel the quotation of local rates. Of
course, if the present ruling holds good all
roads must pick out say 1000 leading
points and not quote rates as now to the
other $4,000 1t will be an Inconvenience
to passengers who want to go to place to
which no tariff is quoted. In that case ne
must buy ticket to the nearest station to
which 2 rate is posted. We now sell
tickets from any point on our line to any
place in the United States, but it will be
manifestly impossible to print all these
tariffs and theE reprint on every change"