Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1897-11-18

of the cost of style and comfort in rail-
way travel as compared with misery,
filth and discomfort.
Let us illustrate the subject. Sup
pose we have an immigrant car, cost
ing, say, So, 600, capable of containing
$50 densely crowded people. And, in
contrast let us have, also, good pas
senger coach, costing $1,000, capable
of comfortably accommodating fifty
passengers Now what should be the
rates per passenger in the cars, re-
spectively? 1t is a question of capac'
ity and investment.
If the rate for immigrants is one
ninth of a cent per mile, the rates for
passengers in the coach should be
three-ninths. The car with fifty peo-
pie must charge three times as much
per person as the car with $50, in order
that each car may earn the same mon
ey per mile. That disposes of the ca
pacity question.
AS to the two investments, one is
So, 900, the other $4,000. The differ
ence is $4,000. Let us court twenty
five per cent per annum on the 50, 900
difference, as follows;
Interest, five per cent, $780, 1nsur-
ance, ten per cent, $780, Repairs, ten
per cent, $500. Total, $3.50.
That shows $3.50 as being the annual
cost of the passenger coach, above the
annual cost of the immigrant car.
That $3.50 per annum will be about two
and half dollars day for ten months,
allowing two months for the coach to
stand idle for repairs That two and a
half dollars for each twenty-four hours
divided among fifty passengers, be-
tween New York and Chicago will be
five cents each This added TO the
three dollars already mentioned,
makes the through rate for passengers
on that trip, s3.O5. The usual rate is
about SIS. The excess over SO 05 is
taken by the Railway Bogleman, as
piclsings from the passengers pockets.
With these stealings he helps to create
railway kings and millionaires. He
also helps to support railroad lobbies
IN the state legislatures and in Con-
gress. In this line there are some ugly
stories afoat about the Santa Fe road
which it may be well for President
Ripley to explain, lest they may ''cre'
ate prejudice" against the manage
ment of the road.
1t is now plain why the railway man
ayers make no public reports to the
people. They do not wish to expose
their profitable secrets, and thus to
lose their numerous opportunities o.
speculation and pocket picking.
To make this one important secret
very plain, let us discuss it from an
other standpoint The railway com
panies now hire the use of many of the
cars in active service at from one-halt
to three-fourths of a cent per running
mile for freight cars; and, from one t.
three cents per running mile for pas
senger and sleeping cars. The Santa
Fe pays two cents per mile for sleep
ers. This extra cost for passenger and
sleeping cars over freight cars is moi
great. The cost Of one cent mile fol
passenger coach over a half cen
freight car is half cent per mile. And
the difference in run of nine hundred
miles in twenty -four hours, is four and
one-half dollars-two dollars more
than was recl1oned in tn eformer calcu,
lation: aud, it adds four cents to the
burden of each through passenger
riding nine hundred miles in a car load
of Fifty persons BY our first calcula'
lation the through rate was s3.O5; in
the latter $500. At these rates passen'
gers could be allowed the usual grip
sacks in hand, limited, say to Fifty
pounds Trunks and heavy baggage
should go in baggage cars at reason
able ton rates, Persons travelling in
sleepers should pay few cents more
for increased cost of car; and, addition
al rates for decreased capacity,
amounting, perhaps, in all, to about
six or eight dollars as the total cost
for nine hundred miles in a 100000
sleeper.
In the light of these Facts which any