The Globe-republican., 1897-02-18

PAS SENDER SERVICE AND
RATES COMPARED.
Reply Of the State Railroad Commlssioo
% lnq1lrieo BY AgFieulturists Regard.
Ing Average Receipts and Expenses.

Ing Average Receipts and Expenses.
Des Moines. Iowa.-Correspondence CHICAGO
Times-Herald.-W. w. Field Of Odebolt. pres
tdent OF the State Agricultural society. anx-
tous to enhghten its members ON the merits OF
the railroad question. sought for information
from the state board Of railroad commission
ers ON the following points: What Is the aver
age rate Of fare In Iowa? What does II cost the
are ~s s,h 20 ssiy PASSENGER mile! How
rate would be fair ON both sides! What IL
the opinion Of the commissioners on the ques-
ten by W. W. Ainsworth. secretary Of the
commission. saying in part: The questions
suggested by you have recently been con-
sidered BY the board Of railroad and ware
house commissioners of ILLINOIS in response to
an inquiry made by the state grange Of that
state. Its conclusion was that it would be
road interests Of the state to comply with this
request The regular report says: Some Of
the great trunk lines In Illinois might be able
to stand such reduction. Yet the smaller
roads and those which do almost wholly a
local business. and which are now and have
been for the last two years struggling for
oy H. such action on our part would simply
increase the heavy burdens under which they
are struggling now.
Decrease In Passenger Business.
1T Is Well-known fact to those who have
taken the trouble to investigate the amount Of
passenger business done BY the railroads in
Illinois during the last two years that there
has been a large decrease in the number OF
passengers carried. This II due in our iudg-
ment, not to the amount charged for such
service, out to the general depression In all
lines Of business. the low prices Of farm
products and the unsettled financial condi-
tons which have had their effect on the pas
senger as well a. the freight business. This
question was before US when We revised the
freight schedule in 1895 and the whole Ques-
ton was thoroughly considered We did not
do faol hae
In justice to both the public and the railroads
this reduction should be made at this .tuac.
sions might be different. The statistics in our
once show that for the last three years 1904
1895 and 1895. the average amount charSed by
ton above 2 cents. although the maximum
allowed them was cents. For the reasons
above stated We do not feel that this reduce
We are also asked to recommend this re-
duction to the legislature. In view Of our
conclusion We do not feel that it would b
consistent for us to do so.
Receipts and Cost Fer Mile.
From the statistics given In the report Of
age amount received by the railroads doing
business in Iowa for carrying one passenger
one mile during the year was 2.27 cents. The
returns from which these results are OBJ
tanned d" not include any passengers carried
Tree. The large number Of passengers who
Fave travelled uTon reductions of rates as per-
mltteO Oy our StatutCS-mlnlSterS OF the Cos
pei. organizations Of our military excursions
on holidays. special rates to meetings of many
organizations. state and county fars-are fac
tors that reduce the average fare to the
amount above stated. 1t Is obvious. there
FORE that the average must always be lower
than the rate fixed by law. The character Of
the business renders it impossible to make
any rate that will be absolutely uniform The
Iowa report for 1895 shows only ten roads
which returned the average cost Of carrying
one passenger one mile. The average cost or
A. ~ Mt
Is less reliable than IL il were founded upon
returns made by all the roads. which would
probably increase it. In arriving at the cost
Of carrying one passenger one mile. as above
given nothing Is charged on account of the
expenses of the railroads for interest. rents.
taxes and miscellaneous fixed charges. and.
Of course. nothing for dividends on stock.
The passenger traffic should, of course. bear
it's proportion of these expenses. which con-
sfitute Fart Of the cost of doing the business
From statistics compiled by the Interstate
charge the passenger business of the raii-
roads with It's proportionate share or the nxec
account Of dividends and credting it with
mail and express earnings, would give us as
the actual cost 2.51 cents.
Figures on Reduced Trafsic.
1.-The statement of the Illinois commission
that there has been a general reduction OF
passenger business Is undoubtedly confirmed
by the statistics. For the whole United States
the number Of passengers carried one mile
for each mile Of railroad in 1890 was = 75I:
in 1898 IL was SS.572. Though the num- er OF
passengers carried was less the assenger
car mileage was greater in 1895 than in 1890
which, of course. increased the cost per pas
senger. In 1890 the total number OF miles
run by passenger trains in the United States
was 2S5 575. S04: in 1895 il was BIZ .o6o6 l5. In
1895 the revenues from passenger service In
the United States decreased $3S 1O3.3 1s as
compared with 1894. though the figures for
1895 include 2.055. % miles OF road more than
in 1891. The foregoing statements. which are
based upon the most accurate statistics OBJ
tainable at this time indicate: l. That at the
present time the average fare charged in Iowa
is less than the actual cost Of transporting the
passenger. 2. That within the last three or
four years passenger earnings have decreased
without q corresponding decrease In the cost
of doing the business. Unless changes have
been recently made that have not come to the
notice of the commission the following are the
rates prevailing in the countries named:
England-First class, AZ cents: second. g.:
cents; third 2 cents. France-First class.
cents: second ; cents: third. cents. Italy
First class. s.s cents: second 2.6 cents; third.
"a cents Holland-F1rst class. J.. cents:
second. &c cents: third. 1.s cents Belgium
First class, "a cents; second. Is cents; third
10 cents. Except in England no baggage Is
carried free.
Density Of Population = Factor.
THE density Of population also affects the
volume of passenger traffic. Where the popu-
lation is dense there will be more travel than
in sDarsely settled districts In Iowa the
POPULATION per square mile is about IS; In
England. 81: Belgium, 51i: Holland. $50:
Italy. 2ss: France. 1s7: New York. 159: OHIO.
80; New England. 49, Illinois: 40; MISSOURI:
AZ: Wisconsin, "a; Nebraska. Is: Kansas. -:
South Dakota. 5. The population per mile OF
railroad in Iowa is about pa. in Illinois It Is
about s95: New York, SO; New England. IL:
Missouri All: wisconsin 306: Nebraska 2O9:
Kansas. l0S; South Dakota. 123. The average
passenger earnings per mile. as shown by the
last reports to this commission. Of the roads
oneratine in Iowa are s9a0. The Kansas re-
port for 1895 shows $S4a. the Illinois report
s. 5Se. and as shown by the report OF the IN,
fersfate commerce commission. they are "a. ~
in New England A.5l3 in New York and in
Ohio 81 ISL"
Quicker in the Old Days.
-, ~Aaoo~o chodo WaS in a cON.