Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1894-07-19
SHERMAN ON PULLMAN.
The Sleeping Car Service Monopoly Greater
Than the Sugar Trust -Extortionate Rates
Charged for Berths--Needed Reform.

Senator Sherman on June 80 made
statement which will attract wide
spread attention about his resolution
which was adopted by the senate yes
terday directing an investigation of
the Pullman sleepingca car business with
a view to the determination OF what
are reasonable rates OF fare.
"This matter" he said, ''has no ref
erence whatever to the strike now in
progress IN the west. 1t is something
that have been thinking about for
long time, and have talked with my
colleagues III the senate sufficiently to
find that they are in hearty sympathy
with my effort to cause a reform in
the rates charged by the Pullman and
other g-carcompanies. | regard
these rates simply Infamous. 1t is
outrageous for Us to be compelled to
pay high prices for such poor accom-
| modations as we receive in our trips
! to and fro about the country. They
give you n short narrow berth, so close
and uncomfortable that in many cases
one would rat her sit up all night than
submit to the inconveniences OF the
compartment. Ii you get u lower
berth and no one has the upper, the por-
ter insists upon putting down the lid
and so increasing your misery rather
than giving you the benefit OF the air.
| don't know why this is so, unless is
an the part OF the company to make
their prestige all the greater and the
more uncomfortable.
81 regard the Pullman company and
Sugar Trust as the most outrageous
monopolies OF the day. They make
enormous profits and give their pat.
rons little or nothing in return in pro
portion. 1t is perfectly clear to me
that there Is a way t o reach the sleep
ing car problem with ease through gov,
ernment action. States have in many
instances adopted regulations intend
ed to reduce the evil OF extortionats
charges on the railroads, but there ar,
few, il any, railroads that run sleeper'
through hut one state, and thus til.
laws are of no avail, for no state cal
regulate any corporation beyond it!
own limits. For instance, in Ohio W,
make an effort to control this matte
but the railroads have always fount
"a way to avoid the law The Unite,
States can easily control the charge
for sleepers, just as the railway tare
have been regulated by means of tn
; interstate commerce law. /. be
. lieve that that act has been ampl,
enforced, without very much trouble
and can see no reason why a simila
act should not be passed with reterenc
to the sleeping car problem. A bill G
, a dozen lines would suffice, fixing tn
, rate per mile to be charged by thes
l companies and providing a penalt
for overcharging.
al think the rates should be reduce
2 one-half. The Pullman company, 70
instance, is very rich, made so by tn
enormous and disproportionate pro
it's on their cars. With half that prof
! the company could make great des
$ OF money, and give the public bette
. better service. Perhaps you don
know, but it il, nevertheless, fac
that the Pullman company charge
each railroad running its cars thr,
. cents per mile for every car. and tn
= goes into the pockets of the Pullman
in addition to the rates paid by I'll
= passengers. For instance, betwee
e New York and Chicago, the railroa
e pays aboutS 10 for each sleeper rul
e and the Pullman company gets sveri
Is times that sum i'm addition from ii
. public. That $40 paid by the railr Oh
is counted into the running expens,
of the road. and is eventually paid /
4 the passenger in the fare he gives Il
a his ride. So the traveller pays twic
a in reality, and for his questIonab
C. accommodations on board a sleepe
of / feel these heavy rates myself, ,frequen
70 ly, for when we go out to our home
I Ohio, we have to pay for my wife, m
daughter and my self as much for slee