Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1891-09-18

from budapest the rates are the same.
All stations bryo:d that distance are
rcciSoncd i'll the fourteenth zone. 1t
costs 10 more to travel from Budapest
to Drasso, which is 720 kilomctcrs dis
tant, than to Macy Varad, the distance
of which is only BIS kilomctcrs. To
this farthcst point, 442 miles from the
capital, the fares of the three classes
are, for ordinary trains, $500, S233, and
SLIGO. AT thi, rate the hrst-class fare
from New York to Chicago would be
only about $500; and the third-class
fare about $3.50.
The former rates of tho Hungarian
railways between the two points now
under consideration were SiG.s4, SlI.5,
and ST.GS. The fare is, therefore. les;
than onc-iifth OF what it was und:r the
old system.
1t is in these long distances that the
reduction Is most sweeping; but even
tho shorter journeys are greatly cheap
cned. TO Arad, which is 253 lsilometcrs
from budapest, the former fare for the
three classes was 1918, Si.33 and So. Os;
the present fare is $500, S332 and 81 go,
n reduction OF almost 30 per cent.
Besides the reduction in rates, the
new system Offers great ADVANTAGES in
the way of convenience nnl simpliica.-
ton. The number of distinct ticl;cs.;
always kept on sale III every iin;,ortant
hotel Office was formerly about roo; the
greatest number required in any o.,:cc
i; now only 92. This reduces consider.
ably tho expense OF printing ard hand
ling tickets. They are now sold like
postage stamps, ut news stands, po,t-
Offices, hotels, cigar shops and other
auch places. ANY traveller knows what
his fare will lie II he knows how many
zones he is to cross; nc simply multi
plies the number OF The zones he is to
enter or cross by the normal rate OF
fare per zone, which is, us has been OK
planned, twenty, sixteen and ten cents
tor the three classes respectively.
For large number OF places within
fifty-five lsilomctcrs of Budapest ticket.
books containing, from thirty to city
tickets are issued ut rates Still lower.
'Ihus for group of stations averaging
about twcnty-onc miles from budapest
books are sold which make the trip
fares sixteen, twelve and eight cents.
These books arc transferable, and the
owner OF the book may pay with these
tickets the fares of persons accompany-
ing him. Evidently the purpose OF this
system is to extend these concessions
and convcnicnccs as widely as possible,
and not, as oltcn III America, TO limit
and clrcunscribc thcEi SO that he small
est number Of people shall yet the adj
vantage of them.
The reader will &c interested in know
ing what response has hcc, mada by the
. hungarian public to these liberal meas
ures. The hungarian public is not par
ticuinrly responsive, the population of
/ the country is sparse, they are Il poor,
uncnterprising, housekeeping people;
but they seem TO know IL good thing
when they see it. The increase in the
passenger traffic has been very great
For The first eight months OF the new
system the number OF passengers car
ricd WIS SIG; for the corresponding
months Of the previous wear the num-
Der carried was 2,Sg1,aJa. it r.;,v hc
supposed that this increase was mainly
due to the great reduction i'll the long
distance rates. On the contrary, the
gain Is the largest i'll the traffic between
nciEhboring stations. OF such pas
scnGcrs there were under the old.systcm
2o1,o10; under the new, 1857, 1856.
This vast increase of business has
also been accompanied by n substantial
increase OF revenues. Comparing the
receipts from passengers and baggage
OF the first six months OF The new svs-
TEN with tie corresponding months of
the previous year, we find q gain OF
S'Gl,S30. II is also stated that there
has been no material increase in opcr-
nting expenses. Under the old system
the cars were not often more than one
third full.
1t is not to be wondered Mt that rail
way managers from al parts or the
world are fastening to hungary to
study on the ground this remarkable
phenomenon. 1t is to be hoped that
some of our own Inny 60 and return with
new light on great question.
To what extent the experience OF
Hungary could be made available in
America il is not easy to say Part eli
the hungarian railways belong to the
state, but part of them are under the
control OF private companies; 1t would
appear, however, that the right OF the
State to regulate fares must be con-
coded The document from which this
information is derived is published by
the hungarian government and it con
siats OF nm elaborate bat very intclligi-
bic compilation of the rules and meth
obs OF classification under which tho
business is done.
One fact is clearly demonstrated
that reduced passenger fares greatly
stimulate passenger traffic, and are adj
vantageous to the companies There
are indications enough of this fact in
the experience of American RAILWAYS.
but the managers are slow to act upon
them. Perhaps this striking illustra-
ton from hungarian railway history
may quicken their apprehension.
The economic and industrial advan-
tages OF such low fares should be OBJ
vions to nil. Whatever tends to pro-
mote the mobility of labor is in the in
tcrcst of thrift and peace. Especially
is this true in these times when through
changes of fashion production is con
stantly shifting; if the worll-pcople
thrown out of employment in one place
Il