The evening world., 1892-10-08
RATES TO THE WORLDS FAIR.
Efforts to Prevent Discrimination
Against New York.
r. b. Thurber Explains tho Action
Of the Chamber OF Commerce.

prtvel OF no little amount OF trade BY the
! action OF the various railroads in limiting the
rather expensive excursion tickets to the
coming Columbian celebration to nve days,
, are determined to have justice done them
aurlng the Worlds Fair.
The railroads, so far, seem inclined to dis
criininate against New York in ID, or Of Chi.
| cago IN arranging their schedule OF fares dur.
Ing the big show, although most Of the lines
are owned here, and IL is to Offset this dis
crimination that the Chamber OF Commerce
has appointed special committee to confer
with the Trunk Line Association with view
to securing equitable treatment.
Railroad officials as yet are hesitating be.
tween round-trip tickets and low-priced one.
way tickets, and the chamber OF Commences
secretary has written to each OF the trunk
lines asking that its committee be granted q
hearing teiOre the matter is 1nally decided.
The Chamber OF COmmerces Committee con.
sibts OF MesSrs. Francis Is. Tnurber, John
Claflin and oscar 5. straus. MIR. Ihuroer
SAID 10 an EVENING WORLD reporter this
morning:
oitl0ns or tickets 80 arranged tIat II visitors
10 the Worlds Fair at Chicago desire to con.
| tinue their trip to the seabOard cities before
rretur1Ding rsul1 home, they can DO so at the re.
"As regards the rate at which tickets can
oe Issued, we can judge better after con-
ferring with the railroad managers.
" IL IL Is possible TO nave SINGLE half.rato
ticket, or rOund-trip ticket ior one fare, It
would Induce much larger movement than
| II tickets were sold at The customary one and
| one-third rate which the railroads are In the
habit OF giving to parties or suitable size.
| % We cannot ask the railroads TO 40 any
thing which is unreasonable or which would
not give good promise VI being TO their own
interest as well as THAT OF the public.
There are great many people in the
South and West " hO would like to tuke In
both the Worlds Fair ana visit New ork or
some Oh the seabOard cities, returning home
perhaps by a different route from that over
| which they came.
| "All these things need to be udied to
| ascertain what Is feasible.
f." The object OF the resolution In the Cham.
Der or Commerce was to cry slallize the exist.
Ing sentiment, and make II somebody's Gusi-
what could bo done"
oscar straus, another member Of the Com
mlttee, said:
"lt Is not necessary to ofYer arguments In
favor OF the lowest pO ,slble railroad rates.
cannot understand the hostility OF tho rail.
ROADS to New York. 1 hope TO see business
men aroused to work towards this end on
: every side and in every way"
said another well.Knnwn and influential
business man, who didn't wish his name used
IL seems to me that the principal point OF
interest TO the general puo1c Is not whether
single one.w a. rate or an excursion ticket
shall De adopted, but just what the rate shall
be.
zone thing is evident. The railroads are
not going to do anything for New York II
Chicago can help II, ami Chicago seems, so
TAR, 20 have ACCOMPLISHED all she desires with
the railroads centring there.
"What New York wants Is not only an cx-
cursion ticket from here to Chicago and re.
turn, but also an excursion tiCket from
Chicago TO New York ana return, and that at
the regular fare for one way; anu unless
New York brings some powerful influence to
bear upon the railroads very soon she Will
mt spnNa stpIS
There's no use in supposing that the rail.
roads Will make any voluntary concessions.
Concerted action on the part Of the business
in the newspapers are the only thing that viii
bring about equitable treatment from the
railroads.
Association have decided to make a reduction
Of only 20 per cent. on all tickets from Chi.
cago. Whenever big conventions have been
held In New York It has been possible to
secure excursion tickets for one regular fare,
and This should be done during the Worlds
Fair.
Take the recent Christian Endeavor
the delegates secured round trip tickets from
far Western points as cheaply as $40. Of
course that was an almost hitherto unheard
OF rate, but the result was that the city was
crowded with thousands Of visitors, many OF
whom had never been here and would not
otherwise have come. And there is hardly u
merchant In town bu. can testify that the
Endeavorers left considerable money here.
III New York gets any trade from the West
and South. the railroads must Issue half
rate excursion ticket from Chicago to New
York anu return. Otherwise visitors IRON
those points Will 80 directly to Chicago and
sto? there, and New York Will be completely
and eflectua'ly left 1t is equally a TACT
that the loss OF trade to New Workers. Will
make corresponding loss OF freight traric
TO railroads leading out OF New York, because
people will buy at Chicago instead OF coming
here.
at is somewhat mystifying. in view OF this
fact, that the railroads insist on favoring
Chicago, but they 90 and will continue 10 DO
80 unless something is done 10 influence
them. And that something must be done
quickly"