The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-03-14
THE PASS EVIL.

OHIO has joined the I1SI OF states
which are endeavoring to regulate
transportation rates charged by the
railroads. A bill is pending in the leg
islature limiting the passenger rate to
two cents a mile In order to help the
measure along its friends are circulat-
ing a petition, addressed to the legisla-
ture. To the petition is attached doc
ument setting forth the justice of the
demand as viewed from their stand
point The conditions set forth in this
petition probably exist in some degree
in every state in the Union. One por-
ton of the complaint reads:
OF the different causes. for complaint
in this connection the most serious is
found in the grossly unjust discrimina-
ton in charges so universally practiced
in both passenger and freight transpor-
tation. Nothing in the history of COM
merce has equaled it in wrong. First,
as to passenger fare:
Something of the extent of this wrong
in Ohio was shown by the report of
Railroad Commissioner Kirkby for 1898.
1t was there shown that during the
year 80, 9S7, 1928 passengers were carried
in this state, the aggregate transpOrta-
ton of which was 0O2 S15,51 miles. At
the advertised rate of cents per mile
the receipts for this would have been
$50, 0S4 465; whereas the amount actual
" received was SIS, 220 045, or 81, 1864, 419
less than according to the regular rate
was 1913 cents-1.1S7 cents less per mile
than the regular rate. AS thus shown
20,057, AL passengers at cents a mile
would have paid the total amount re-
ceived, the remaining u 929, SS2, or their
equivalent, paying nothing. Thus as
shown 1912 per cent of the whole, or 1886
out of every 1000 transported, rode at
the expense of their sos fellOW-passen-
gers. As seen, had all passengers paid
at the rate of cents per mile the re-
ceipts would have amounted to $780,
81
received.
Under the head of 1.-THE Beneficiaries
of Favoritism'' this document names 80
classes riding on passes, as given by the
United States interstate commerce
commission, and says that from this lit
would seem that there must be some
potent power behind the legislative
throne to deny deliverance from such
wrong"
paragraph devoted to the ''NIisfor-
tunes Of Railway Adventurers'' reads:
1T is difficult to see how a business of
any sort, without proper basis, and de-
pending largely on fictitious capital, can
be expected to succeed amid the compe-
tition to which most branches of trade
are now subjected. Certainly such can
have no just claim upon the public for
payment of charges made necessary to
them by their untitled condition by
competition"
By way Of an argument backing up
the demand for a reform in railroad
practices, the petitioners submit the
following:
All consideration of this subject
Should be issued on the assumption that
the railroad, as now existing here, is
the creature of public authority, having
no warrant, save as it promises to pro-
mote the public service. To such end
the first object must be strict equality
for all classes of citizens. Without IA
VorIt1sn in any form, every citizen is
entitled to whatever benefits the rail-
way extends to any other citizen in like
case. To whatever extent such equalf-
ty IS lacking, manifest rights are de-
MED. The carrier, wholly the creature
of government, endowed with extraor-
binary powers for specific purposes,
thereby comes to be practically an
agent of the government, and should be
held to responsibility accordingly. Thus,
a railway has no more right, in the
conduct of its operations, to discrimi-
nate between citizens than has the
judge fon the bench; the governor or
other public officer to show partiality
in the discharge of official duties Hence
railway company can properly do
nothing which the state might not
properly do, were the railway the prop
erty of the state, instead of being a
corporation created by the state solely
for public ends.''