Evening journal., 1893-04-01
FAREs 10 rhE FAlR-

Undue excitement on the subject OF
railway fares to the Worlds Fair has
already put many men into a state Of
mild insanity This is unnecessary, of
course, and premature They need not
bother themselves at all about the rates,
but especially they need not begin TO be
bothered so early. They may rely upon
it that the railways will charge all that
can be collected, and collect as long as
the wonderfully patient people of this
country will stand It, Referring TO this
subject the Chicago Tribune says.
Interviews with railroad officials in the
general determination on the part of
managers Of the Eastern lines to charge
full rates of fare to and from the fair as
long as possible, and only let them down
in case they find the public viii not Gil
their trains at the full tariff rate. One
Of them is quoted as saying that he is
satisfied the lines will have all they want
TO do without making concessions, and
that he does not believe one person in a
hundred will stay away on account of
being required TO pay full fare both ways.
He says 10 is not the railroad fare that
will keep people away. II they do not
come it will be because they cannot raise
the money for the total cost of seeing
the fair satisfactorily aud those who
could not pay their way in Chicago
would not come il the offer were made TO
furnish transportation free He holds
that the attendance from outside has
been largely underestimate, and init
mates a conviction that the stockholders
! Of fha 1fnna mould Tan.oDT Ia. ,..ff-r,
tion Of any managers who did not get out
Of the traffic all the revenue il will bear
If this be the resolve 10 may have to
stand till the policy is reversed by the
logic of circumstances II Is init.
mated that the determination now
to insist on high rates is in
large part due to a conviction that
practically il would be impossible during
the fair TO raise rates from any basis. how
ever low IL might be, while II would be
easy to lower them should that be
deemed advisable But in spite Of all
that is said to the contrary the official re
ferred TO may be mistaken. He needs
only 10 look at the history of railroad
excursions in this country to see that his
position is a false one II not, why do
the railroad managers find it advisable TO
grant excursion rates so freely and
frequently as they do for travel TO and
from minor gatherings? IL is necessary
for the excursionists 10 spend money at
the objective points in those cases and
whether they will spend that money OF
not often depends on the question If a
few dollars can be saved from the oTdi
nary rates Of railroad travel The fair
, will be greater attraction 10 the mil
lions than any mere local gathering
could be, but the attendance must be-
proportionately greater IN order to make
. IL an unqualified success IL is not
r right TO assume that the percentage oil
I that larger number who would be in
huenced by low railroad rates Il
materially different from that Of tn,
u lesser numbers which crowd TO annua
j. conventions in this and other cities.
, That hopeful argument tends to prov,
{ that the railway fares will be cheap an,
that the roads will compete with eacl
other for a greater part Of it, than thel
would get otherwise. by Offering induce
+ ments. There is one thing that may b.
e relied ON confidently, and that is, tha
J, the roads will not trouble themselve
d much to secure the comfort of the pas
% sengers. Passengers will be carried a
e nearly like the Western roads transpor
hogs and emigrants as cheapness O
81 transportation demands.
IN We have already had an instance Of tha
d "a sample we may say-in the crus
is and jam and delay and the generally ba
T. facilities and discomfort that the soldier
Is endured in attempting TO attend th
u National Encampment at Washington
That continued five or six days; II
IS same things will prevail for six months
&c during the progress Of the fair I'll
- man who gets there safely or cheapl
nl will be happy and lucky too