The Washington times., 1894-06-18
MAINTAINS A DISCREET SILENCE.
The b. o. Officials Have Not Yet Replied
to Allegations OF Fraud.

hS ID. u w. pIIiSidis 4NOt CT NSEilSu
to Allegations of Fraud.
To the Editor of The TINES:
In The TINES of June 10. took occasion to
point out that the distance between Washington
and Baltimore was thirty-six miles and not forty
as ieckoncd by the B. * o. railroad; that both
that railroad, and the B. * p, placed their
charges for round trip fares at FIVE cents per
mile: that in doing this the b IL o. made ficti-
tious and exaggerated computations of distance
between Washington and nearby points. thereby
increasing rates of round trip tickets very
materially. Thus the distance from the WASH
ington station to Ivy City is placed at three and
one-tenth miles instead Of less than two miles as
in fact il is, and the distance 10 llyattsvie is
placed al six and sx-tenths miles instead of five
miles, as the work of competent and reliable
surveyor shows il TO be.
1t also appeared that by the use of a false
statement of the distance to Hyat:sville, the
charge for round trip tickets was made thirty-
three cents in tead OF twenty-five cents, and the
rate TO other points received a somewhat similar
uniustiiiahle advance The above averments
were clear, positive and definite, and TO them
the B. i o. railroad has yet vouchsafed no
answer, either by way of denial or ex PLANTATION.
Let me pursue the matter still further
\ few yeais ago the iiyattsvile signboard in
dcated that the distance to Washington was
five and three-fourths miles. Then the round
uip fare, computed now at cents per mile,
was 20 cents. Then the signboard exceeded the
truth by about three-quarters of n mile. One
day painter came along and changed "534
to "6.6," and about the same time the round
trip ticket was proportiouately advanced TO S3
cents This n where the B. II o in
creased its wealth by marking up its goods,
and its patrons. being practically prohibited
from purchasing elsewhere, were compelled to
pay the advance. 1t may seem nconceiva bic
that n railroad should resort to this expedieut,
but such is the fact.
But why nave rot the citizens Of Hyattsville
and other places sought relief from this state of
affairs, They have. Their representatives
have been coarteously told that the engineering
department of the road had computed the dis
tance from Washington TO HyattsviIle ut six and
simply accepted such computation. Strange il
is that with the location of the Washington and
Hyattsville stations unchanged the engineering
department should at different times make two
distinct calculations of distance. varying from
each other by nearly n mile, and each largely in
excess Of the truth. Bu we may be permitted
to teiieye that no engineer would, over his
Signature, in public way stake his reputation
upon the distance being either of the two figures
put forth ut separate periods by the passenger
department
how is the Hyattsville quarterly commuter
affected by the eSaggeration of distance? He
now now pays 80 80 per quarter, his distance
from town being put at six and six-tenths miles.
II the true distance-fvc mes-were the basis
of calculation lie would pay s. s.. the rate now
charged 10 River station. that place being de-
clared by the Baltimore and Ohio to be five miles
from town Thus we find that these Hyattsvillle
residents pay per quarter an excess of 81. 20 on
each ticket, that being the difference between
80 90 and S7S5
railroad treats It's patrons after the same fashion
US the Baltimore ard ohio, but of that have no
personal knowledge.
All such determinations and advantages taken
of travellers should receive the fullest measure
of publicity. j. H. RALsToN.