The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1889-03-01
WHAT RAILWAY MEN SAY.

WHAT RAILWAY MEN SAY.
That there are two sides to the ques-
ton of reducing passenger fares, or rath-
er that the railway companies will not
always submit complacently TO the grind
ing down process which legislators are
wont to indulge IN as beneficial to their
personal renoWn n, is we'll shown i'll some
recently published interviews with rail-
way representatives throughout the
Northwest, who strongly deprecate the
measures affecting their business intro
duced the other day in the Senate of this
State. That proposing new restrictions
on the sale of passenger tickets Is es-
pecially condemned. Said one gentle
man: "The conditions found on spec
ial class of tickets are III effect contract.
The legal rate in Minnesota is 3 cents
mile. If, under certain circumstances,
lower rate is asked or needed, the
road makes it, but protects the local rate
by imposing conditions. Unless this
contract is made and kept the general
local business of the road at the point OF
issue is jeopardized. If the legislature
attempts to abolish this contract system
it will probably lead to the abolition OF
reduced rates. So far as limited tickets
are concerned believe that the rail-
roads have the right to issue and protect
them. Extra service demands extra
compensation. In some instances in
this State those provisions. if carried
out, would have the effect of depriving
certain roads of branch business" w.
II. Dixon, of the Mime
sota's legal rate is 8 cents a mile-no
more and no less. If such laws are
passed by the legislature the result will
be that the railroads will withdraw all
low rates to points within the State, all
excursion tickets, and do business en-
tirely on the basis of 3 cents mile to
all points. The railroads of the country
make Il practice of granting certain con-
cessions which are of great benefit to the
public. In order that tn, Sc concessions
always ndividual-may not interfere
with general local traffic and the reve-
nue. gained therefrom, the railroads i'm
pose certain restrictions, such as limits
as to time, thorough identification, and
the single ownership of tickets. Now,
if these restrictions of protective ma
ture are 10 be abolished and one ticket
is TO be made everybody's ticket, then
the railroads will, undoubtedly, refuse
to make any concessions whatever, in
order to protect their revenue. This,
however, would only apply to Minneso-
ia business, as the legislature cannot die
tate roads interstate policy. 1t would
have the effect of abolishing the carnival
rate, the exposition rate-in short, a
man would have to pay three cents
mile 10 any State point, and would en-
JOY no excursion rates of any kind. 1t
would put the railroads on the defen-
sive."
1t is always wise to consider whether
the step you are going to take is likely
to benefit yourself or merely give your
enemy the opportunity for throwing
down impediments which he has here
tofore kept out of your way.
In this connection We give the opinions
of several other prominent railway Of
ficiaIs as given before the House COM
mittee in St. Paul last evening:
J. 7. Tucker, assistant general mana
ger of the Milwaukee road, vigorously
opposed the reduction In the rate be-
tween ST. Paul and Minneapolis. The
roads could not afford it, as the earnings
of the Milwaukee road, for instance,
were $139, $50, and their operating ex-
penses $780,, 900. Any reduction in the
rates would cause q corresponding re-
duction in their equipment and train
service.
Col. Clough, second vice president of
the Manitoba system, also opposed the
bill.
IT, McNulty, representing the North
ern Pacific, made a lengthy speech
against the reduction of the passenger
rate from cents to cents. The actual
cost of carrying passenger on the main
and branch lines of the Northern Pacific
in this state was 2 0S cents per mile, and
yet bill was proposed to reduce the
rate below the actual cost of Transports
ton. The Northern Pacific ran thirty
six passengers per train per mile. up
on the Manitoba the number was -iOrty'
passengers per train per mile. The gross
earnings OF the Northern Pacific from
every source per mile was "a ,922 29, and
the average of all the railroads operat-
ing in the state was $4 ,516 per mile. The
average gross earnings per mile OF rail-
roads throughout the United States was
considerably over 5000. In other
words, under the present rates, the rail-
roads of Minnesota only earned two
thirds as much per mile as the average
railroad in the United States. In the
scale of average revenue Minnesota
stood twenty-seven down on the list. 1t
had been said that the passenger rate on
the Pennsylvania road was cents per
mile and that of the New York Central
2 cents per mile. But while the average
gross earnings of railroads i'll Minnesota
were 81 $40 per mile, that OF the Penn
sylvania line were something over Vs.
600 per mile and New York Central
something over 1924 600 per mile, or six
times the amount per mile of the earn
ings of the roads in this state; and yet
they proposed to reduce the rates! Dur
ing the past year the increase in operat-
ing expenses of the railroads in this
state was 81 ,S7S, 1856, and the decrease in
their earnings $2.292,62 He added:
at seems to me impossible that any
legislative body, having the interest of
its state, the financial reputation of its
people at heart, will reduce the rate so
low that it must amount to confiscation.
If you reduce the passenger rate below
cost of performing the service, then the
railway commission of your state will
bring down the freight rates correspond
ingly low. 1t is very certain that these
gentlemen will not allow themselves to
be outdone by the legislature. The rail-
roads will have no remedy, and the re-
suit will be that all the companies must
go into the hands of a receiver or into
bankruptcy"
AROUND THE STATE.