Kansas City journal., 1898-01-19

me in seeing that the Santa Fe road did
what was right and lived honestly. You
and understand what we were doing. and
you would not believe the people who at
tackled us and misrepresented US.
How to Make the Business Pay.
One more thing have to say which
Is this: The railway business is like any
other business. the great aim Of those in
charge being to so adjust their prices that
ON the whole they will meet expenses and
come out little ahead. Mr.. Brown in
his first letter cited the case Of the hotel
keeper In California who charged $l5O
day for his rooms and failed to pay ex-
story. In every business. prices can be put
SO high as to be prohibitive and they will
defeat their own ends. Prices can be put
SO low that all business will be done at a
loss. The endeavor Of every business man
Is to steer between these extremes: to put
prices SO low that they will tempt the larg-
margin Of profit. This is what railway
men try to do. The Individual rate has to be
SO calculated as to encourage as much busi-
What the railway company has to look at
Is the return Of a trainload Of people: not
Of the Individual passenger. 1t has. II possi-
Davis has asserted that II the Santa Fe road
put its fares lower it would increase Its busi-
ness Railway men do not agree with this.
In most lines of business the men who are
IN the business are accepted as authorities.
The grocer or a hotelkeeper is expected to
know best at what figures he will do the
Davis knows more about what railway
fares ought to be than railway men who
spend their lives struggling with the prob
lem. On behalf of the Santa Fe road I
am entirely willing. and make this now as
an official statement. to let Mr.. Davis or
anybody else who pleases carry out their
not believe that anybody has ever figured
the cost of passenger service as being less
than one dollar a train-mile. At cents a
mile 1t takes thirty-four people on each
train to pay this; at cents it takes fifty
people: at l cent it would take a hundred
people. and at half cent it would take
200 people.
A Chance for RefOrmers.
Now the Santa Fe road is entirely anx-
ious to make whatever rate will most
surely produce this one dollar per train
mile return. To show that we are in
earnest the Santa F'e road will lease to
Mr.. Davis. If he can assure us of his re-
sponsibility. or to any other responsible
person, party, syndicate or company in the
state of Kansas. train to run from any
point in Kansas on our lines to any other
point every day in the year at a rental of
train shall receive ali fares and farm the the
travel out to suit themselves. They will
only have to pay us SO each way
II the train runs 100 miles. They can make
the passenger rate so low that everybody
Will travel or they can do with 1t as they
please. This offer is not made as a bluff"
but 1t is a serious business proposition. 1t it
is fact that somebody else can make more
money out of the passenger service on the
Santa Fe road than We can. by charging
lower rates, We are entirely willing that
they should make it. I shall be very glad
to have this offer taken up. You will un-
derstand that l am not now offering to
put on special train for a single day or
a single run at that rate. The train must
be scheduled and run each way every day,
rain or shine, and whether there is anybody
to go or not, just as our present trains do.
but the lessee may fix the running time and
place.
There is nothing that I can think of
that would not do. which could legitimate
ly be done. to induce the people of Kansas
to become personally familiar with the
workings Of the road. Our interests are
identical and we ought to be friends. If
can bring 1t about We will be.
l appreciate, Mr.. Editor. that this is a
very long letter and that it is much to ask
of you to give 1t space. Yet I assume that
the subject may have some interest for
your readers and that they, as we'll as
you. are willing to hear both sides of any
matter affecting the public interest. I may
or may not be able to reply to any further
articles by Messrs. Davis and Brown, and
1t is quite possible that your readers may
be tired of the subject.