The sun., 1898-01-09
REPORT WAS INCORRECT
The Board Of Trades Committee
Was Mjsinformel.
The RATES AS THEY EXIST.
A Man Who Uses the Road Tells
What He Knows About
Railroad Fares.

Railroad Fares.
At the Board oi Trade meeting held
last Thursday night the committee on
stop, over privileges reported.
From data furnished by the Penn
sylvania railroad they asserted that the
stop, over privilege was not needed; that
it was eight cents cheaper to buy an
excursion ticket to Wilmington and
from here to Philadelphia and return.
An interview with a prominent busi-
ness man who is in a position to know
all about the railroad rates and fares
throughout the State and between here
and Philadelphia this queer state OF
affairs dcvelopcs. Figures do not lie.
Here is what he says
''Thc PENNSYLVANIA Railroad evidently
does not want Wilmington to have the
benefit OF stop-ovcr privileges, or else the
Board of Trade Committee which looked
after the matter failed in their work To
anyone knowing the facts as to rates,
limit Of travel and kind OF tickets sold
by the Pennsylvania Railroad from sta
tions south of Wilmington, something
should be done to stop the unfair treat
ment given Wilmington as compared
with Philadelphia.
San official Of the Pennsylvania Rail
road in his letter to the Board of Trade
Committee says that the round tri p fare
from Dover to Philadelphia can be re-
dnccd eight cents by purchasing an ex-
cursion ticket to Wilmington and then
buy round trip ticket from Wilmington
to Philadelphia
There is something wrong unless they
have new rates, or some not yet given to
the public The present rates from
Dover to Wilmington and Philadelphia,
computed as the Pennsylvania Railroad
give them. will make the excursion fare
from Dover to Philadelphia from twenty
five to forty cents more, if passengers
first purchase their ticket to Whining
ton. The rates from Dover to Philadel-
phin are, one way, $2.l7 excursion
good for three days, $500, and from
Dover to Wilmington, SLAP, one way.
Excursion, good ior three days, S2.25.
Take these rates separately; added to
our one way rate from Wilmington to
Philadelphia vii save eight cents, which
ratc the Pennsylvania people must have
had III mind when hey wrote that letter
to the Board OF Traie. The thrcc-day
Excursion rate added to our two day
rate makes it twenty-five cents higher
tl!an if purchase d direct from Dover to-.
Philadelphia. No stop-ovcr allowed If
people in Doyrr wish to stay out the full
limit of their three day ticket to Will
mingon it will cost them Sill from
Wilmington to Philadelphia, a total Ghi.
ference Of forty cents. When it is con-
sidered that the majority Of people south
ot Wilmington 60 to Philadelphia sew
eral times Il month to buy goods, this
difference is far from being in favor OF
Wilmington and the Board Of Trade have
not completed their work when they say
that Wilmington does not need stor-ovcr
privileges.
The Pennsylvania railroad will not
do anything for the citizens OF Whining
ton unless they are compelled to and the
people oi Wilmington should make Il
strong effort to have themselves placed .
i'll proper position with the outside .
world ii they are compelled to g to the
State Legislature.
Tie Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. il is
nnGcrst ,od, wi!l grant any concessions
that may be asked OF them--why should
not the Pennsylvania Railroad Dc the
same? The rClllnCtation tickets l"-
tween Wilmington and Philadelphia are
a necessity to the working class OF people
who are employed in IhilAdciEhia and
make their home in Wilmington and
they will aiwar- lie abused to a
certain degree. 1t is, however, unfair,
and not at all bliSinp-slke in the
of Wilmington to ask for all
cheap tickets bet Wilmington to be
continued for their own benefit and
tighter restrictions put on them. This
makes it cnlir"|y TOO much in favor OF
he man who can afford to invest ten or
twenty dollars in railroad tickets as com
pared To the person who cannot, who
will ther be compelled to buy in Viii
whether they prefer it or not. II
'hc business men of Wilmington are the
kind VIII" will consider fifty or sixty
cuts car fare when buying goods to sell
% population OF 5000 people,
thc working class have got !; bard
oad before them. Wilmington should
iavc all privileges granted other cities
. get people here, which, no doubt,
would wake onr own merchants up to
iceping a stock that would prevent even
Ni!mingtonians from going to Philadel.
Dhia, no matter what the fare would be
Rtween Wilmington and Philadelphia.
Here is another point A round trip (3)
lay ticket from Wilmington to Dover
'osts $l.90. The other way the rates are
,iven as above. That is favoring Will
ning,on. And you can't buy round
rip ticket from Dover to any point in
he State except Wilmington. That is i
igniiicant though aside from the qrcs- :
ion:
Things are seldom what they seem and t
he committee on stOp-over privileges
would havc been wise to have made II
PERSONAL test OF the matter before giving
lp the ghost.