The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-02-20

An Agent Thinks They Should Be
Paid for

What do you think Of this move
ment being inaugurated by the
Wheelmen to have a law passed at
the present session Of the legislature,
compelling railroads to carry bicycles
free?" was asked of a general bag
gage agent yesterday, by a reporter of
the G o b e.
Il was not aware that a bill had
been introduced" replied the official,
but | can tell you on general princi-
pies that it would be an injustice to
the railroads. You know we have
some rights after all. I can show you
some things the railroads have to con-
tend with which would surprise you.
All the revenue we get out Of the BIZ
cycle hauling business does not pay us
for the trouble we are put to. It
looks like fat thing when you speak
of twenty-five cent charge for car
rying every bicycle offered, but it is
a losing game at that.
In the first place, a bicycle is not
legitimate baggage. Baggage is sup
posed to be, and is defined as wearing
apparel and personal effects Of passen-
gers necessary for their journey. Yet
the rules Of the Western Passenger
association, for instance say that bag
gage having been defined as being
wearing apparel only such trunks,
satchels. boxes, not crates) bags will
transported in baggage cars, excepting
theatrical SCENERY and paraphernalia,
bicycles, tricycles, and baby cabs"
There are a great many good rea-
sons why bicycles should not be classed
as baggage and carried free. First,
they are delicate of construction and
much care is required in their hand
ling. They cannot be piled upon each
other, and must be placed were moth
ing will deface the enamel. They can
not be carried on baggage trucks the
same as other articles, and one man
cannot care for more than two wheels
at the same time. Suppose from ten to
twenty wheels should be sent from one
town to another unexpectedly; it
would require extra service, which
otherwise would not be required. A
wheel is often damaged, either before
or just after it has been handled by
the railroads. The owner Of the wheel
will always claim the railroad is re-
sponsible and try to collect damages.
"All city ordinances class bicycles as
vehicles, and there is no reason why
a city law should class them as one
thing and a railroad as another. If a
city classes bicycle as a vehicle,
think a railroad should treat them
as such, when it comes to transporting
them. There is no argument which
can make out a vehicle of any kind
as being an article of baggage.
when it comes to handling them
you would find that a wheel occupies
the space Of three or four trunks. You
cannot stack one wheel on top of the
other. 1 take it that bicycle is in no
sense of the word an article of bag
gage, and I cannot for the life Of me
figure it out why we should not be
allowed to charge a reasonable rate of
transportation. 1t is just as sensible
to think we would transport a horse
free of charge.
both ways. If a bicycle is really an
article Of baggage, and a personal eff
feet, l cannot understand why a man
is not allowed to take it with him on
the sidewalks, or on the street cars
''In England there is a fixed charge
for carrying bicycles, and the tariff is
fixed by the English clearing house,
The tariffs, especially for long hauls,
are far in excess of ours. English
roads charge II cents for from 1 to Il
miles; Is cents from Is to 25 miles; "A
cents from &c to so miles; So cents from
81 to IS miles; 4S cents from 78 to 100
miles; 81 cents from 101 to 200 miles,
and 81 cents from 200 to $50 miles Our
rates in this country are lower, as it
only costs 70 cents to transport a
wheel from Minneapolis or st. Paul to
rates allowed by the Western Passen-
ger association give 25 cents for from
to $50 miles; 80 cents from 131 to 1853
miles; 35 cents from 159 to 1874 miles
40 cents from 1876 to 224 miles, and, as
l stated before, 20 cents for 400 miles.
In the aggregate our rates are cheaper.
Rates in England for short hauls may
be cheaper, but you know wages, ex-
penses and everything else are cheaper
in England than they are in the United
States, but even at that we double the
distance on long hauls and cut the
price.
Probably 80 per cent Of all the trips
made by wheelmen on cars will be Gov :
cred by the minimum charge of Is
cents, which is considered a very rea-
sonable one, when you take into con-
sideration the responsibility assumed.
and the service performed by the com
pany. believe that third more BIZ
cycles will be ridden this year than
last. and, if this is true, not only our
road. but every other running to CHI
cago, will be required to lay out con-