The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1890-09-04
RAILROAD FARE REFORMATION.

RAILROAD FARE REFORMATION.
We do not advocate the adoption of the
Hungarian zone" idea in the regulation of
passenger rates. We think that an equally
good result can be obtained in much
simpler way. Let what we might call the
unit of travel" be 10 miles, aud all tickets
be for that or its multiples with an aug
menting decrease for the longer-distance
tickets. That is, say that ticket good for
10 miles travel over any road, in any direc-
ton, and good until used be sold for 10 cents.
If the traveller wants to go more than 10
miles, and not more than 90 miles, he will
buy two tickets GO cents; if 80 miles or
less he would buy three tickets go ccnts),
and so on. The reduction from the cent-a-
mile rate might begin with n 50-mile ticket,
which would sell, say, for 10 cents, while n
1OO-mile ticket would be S7i cents, and
1,OOO-mile ticket s.. The longer-disance
tickets would, of course be good only for
continuous passengers If the passenger
wanted to stop over at intermediate points
he would have to pay his way with short
distance tickets.
If this plan were adopted tickets would
ne Kept on sale at hotels drug-stores, cigar
stands and other places of public resort for
the accommodation of customers. This
would save the public the trouble and loss
OF time necessary to visit the ticket Offices,
usually located at q distance from their
houses. Railroads would save large por-
ton of the present heavy cost of maintaining
ticket-oflices in various parts of cities
Scalpers and ticllet-brokers would disappear,
for ticket would have regular, unchang-
ing value, like postage-stamp, and if n
man did not want to use his ticket he could
at once get the money for it from someone
who did. Provident people, who travelled
much, and everybody would, then travela
good deal, would keep on hand packages Of
tickets, just as they now keep supply of
postage-stamps and street-car tickets.
We are asked how we would arrange it
about tickets being good over different lines?
That would be an easy matter. With much
the bigger part Of the traffic there would be
no difficulty whatever, for the tickets would
only be used over the road which issued
them. Nine-tenths of the travel is local,
and this would be immensely increased if
the rates were cut down TO cent mile.
For tho rest the railroads could use their
present clearinghouse machinery, and settle
their accounts with each other aa they do
now. At the end of each week, month,
quarter, or year, each road would present
the tickets Of the other roads which 81
had taken up, and offset them against the
tickets which the other roads presented. If
necessary, the Government could establish a
clearinghouse for this purpose, and adjust
the accounts of the roads at regular inter
walls In most Of the cities Of the country
the street-raiiroRds, omnibus lines, etc, now
sell tickets which are good on all the lines
in the city. They have clearing houses
into which all the tickets taken up by
other lines are turned, and the accounts set
tied. A similar clearing house for all the
railroads of the country would not need TO
be bigger than some of the bureaus in Wash
ington, and would cost comparatively little.
while the convenience to the people would
be beyond all computation.
gentleman who has travelled much
abroad in commenting upon our scheme,
sees an obstacle TO the adoption of the cheap
fares Of Europe In that in this country every
body wants to travel frst-class In Europe
very few people travel first-class. The great
majority 20 in second-class carriages and
very large number take the cheap third
class. He says it is q real hardship to people
Of slender means that they are compelled
10 ride in upholstered coaches, with plate
glass windows, and pay the price exacted
for these Injuries In Europe these people
would ride in plainly furnished cars, with
bare boards for seats, at one-third the cost
lie says that in this country, where every
man is as good as another, we will not toler
ate such distinctions as first" "second /"
and third classes" There is not much in
this objection. Clean, com fortable, we'll
ventilated cars, as good as those which are
now running on first-class street RAILWAYS
should be provided for everybody, and
nearly everybody would be satisfied with
theme especially for short distances For
those who wanted to pay for better accom-
modations, or who were going long dis
tances, there would be the same arrange
ments as exist at present, where one can get
a berth in sleeping-ca or chair in
parlor-car, by paying an extra charge.
Another objection raised is that the pom
ulation is too sparse TO admit Of as low rates
as are possible in Europe. The following
comparison Of the population per square
mile Of the leading countries in Western
| FufOpe with some of our own gfafea will