Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1897-11-18
[coNTINUED FROM LAST WEEK. ]
Editor of the Kansas Commoner:

Editor of the Kansas Commoner:
now desire to show that the lowest
passenger rates mentioned in the fore
going discussions pay to the managers
of the roads good reasonable profits.
l will take as an example the rate of
one-ninth of cent per mile; that be-
ing sometimes the charge for trans
porting immigrants from New York to
Chicago. President Ripley will doubt
less admit that the cars they ride in
are cheap, that the accommodations
are poor, that the people are badly
crowded, and that their condition, in
general, is quite miserable. They are,
in every essential respect, merely
freight, except in two particulars: l.
They load and unload themselves,
without expense to the railway mana
Igers, which other freights usually do
hot 2. They are called persons or
passenger, and that becomes an excuse
for higher rates of transportation.
In India, at one-fourth of cent a
mile as the cheapest passenger rate,
the profits of carrying people, are
about two to one oyer their average
freight rates In Belgium, over three
to one; and, in Russia, still greater.
But people should not be carried as
freight. They should have plenty of
room and humane treatment, with
every necessary comfort Instead of
being packed INTO cheap immigrant or
freight cars, at the rate of $50 people
to the car, let us give them good five
thousand dollar passenger coach, cap
able of seating in the very best manner,
say, about fifty to sixty persons. Then
the question arises, what will that bet
ter style and increased comfort cost?
This question brings us squarely into
the dominions of the great Rail-
way Bogleman, whose business it is to
confuse people and get their money.
This style and comfort question is the
pick pocket of the railway manage
ment. There are many bold and colos-
sal robberies perpetrated, but the false
exageration of the cost of carrying
persons in a comfortable manner as
compared with carrying freight, add
ing thousand per cent to just and
reasonable charges, is one of the best
guarded corporation secrets To pene-
trate it, we must know the cost of rail-
way equipments. But there are no Off
cial reports on this dark subject. Unofi-
cially have received from the Assist
ant Statistician of the Interstate
Commerce Commission the following
statement
He says; 81 regret that l can give
you but little information in regard to
the cost Of railway equipment OF
course the cost of equipment varies
considerably through period of years.
From unofficial sources, the following
items of what purports to be the aver
age prices of the cars named are given.
This Office, however, is not in posi-
ton to vouch for their accuracy.
sleeping cars....... $4,000 to $50, 900.
Ordinary passenger cars, 81, 900 to S., 900
Mail or baggage cars. ........... so, 500
Freight box cars ..............,...S $500
Goat cars ''''................S $50
made many inquiries of men and
officials who ought to know such
things, and searched through many
books, to no purpose, before the above
wat kindly furnished to me.
The inquiry now arises, why this
profound secret which no man can
1athom. Evidently it means fraud.
And the more we stir and expose the
matter the palmer the fraud is reveal.
ed.
We have now an approximate basis