Kansas City journal., 1898-01-19

OF tnlS that We were talking, and was
Davis had taken the trouble to read on a
ssSs ,'As! Would 1ss
population a"fhi Of British Paffn india. 49, as DENIED
above. lis 243 persons per square mile" I
am quite content to abide by the Encycio-
figures 243. instead Of 24O. as made them.
l do not imagine that Mr.. Davis made will
iul misstatements but believe that he was
by the fact that he refers to his figures as
being for the year 1893. whereas. II he had
read the article in the encyclopedia with
a,,s any care he would have found that t-, the fs
seeing that he starts out with an error as
ty-siX years old (Which Is good deal In
the discussion of railway question:, ana
the basis of his calculation of 80 per cent
being the difference between 240 and l6O-it
does not seem to be worth while to worry
Figures That Lie.
1t is also worth remarking that Mr..
Davis. when he figures On American rail-
way statistics. has somehow got the idea
that the number of miles of railway in the
United States Is 166, 900. do not know how
lar back into history he went for these
figures. but l imagine that they are more
recent than the Indian census of ISL. AS.
however. the latest figures show that last
States was IS. 800, and 1t is now about 1884,
OGO. II is evident that there Is likely to be
seme inaccuracy in any figures which Mr..
Davis has made as applying to the present
day.
What I have said may suffice to give the
people of Kansas some understanding OF
figures. which anybody who chooses to
rush into print may see fit to use. Argu-
ments based on those figures are not worth
seriously answering. The real question at
IL iS \ hnt Caf1 ftka oct n n
enser service and passenger rates In KAN
sas. Mr.. Davis finally gets around to this
subject. He says that the passenger rates
OF service. He says also that he can find
no figures showing ANY foreign first class
rates higher than the American rates..
nor in any foreign country ....an average
rate as high the rate in America" l
do not know where Mr.. Davis has looked
for his figures. l will refer him very glad
ls to twenty different authorities on the
ing all the other authorities by, many of
them men who deserve to be honored.
viii quote from only one source. which
believe Mr.: Davis will accept: or. If he does
not, | believe the people Of Kansas will
accept. l refer to the state railroad COM
missions of Illinois and Iowa. On January
H. 1887, Mr.. w. w. Field. the president Of
the State Agricultural Society of Iowa. ad-
dressed to the board of railroad commits
sioners of that state an inquiry, saying
he would like to know what the average
rate OI IdTe now IS III iowa. Wndt II COStS
the railroads to carry a passenger mile
and how We are to ascertain what would
be fair to both sides and what the opinion
of the commissioners Is concerning the
question The Iowa commission replied In
a lengthy communication, over the sigma
ture of Mr.. Ainsworth, the secretary Of the
commission. and of that document Mr..
any time he wishes. The state grange of
Illinois had recently made a similar appli-
cation to the railroad commissioners Of
that state. asking if 1t would be justitiable
to reduce the passenger rates: to which the
Illinois commission replied at considerable
length and gave their conclusion that "a
reduction of passenger rates would be un-
mission said that. while some Of the great
trunk lines might be able to stand the
reduction" the other roads could not. and
heavy burdens under under Which Which, they @ are % stag ae
gering now" The Illinois commission.
therefore, absolutely declined to recon-
mend the state legislature to make any
reduction In passenger rates.
Cost Per Passenger Per Mile.
The Iowa commission. in its letter to Mr.
Field. quotes the above at length and then
proceeds:
THE most complete statistics bearing on
the cost of carrying one passenger one mile
mission. 1t has not given these since 1893
In tabulating its statistics. 1t divides the
railroads of the country into groups. Group
Wisconsin. Minnesota ESQ a and II parts arts; of pi Nopth
ond South Dakota, Northern Missouri and
Northern Michigan.
For the year ending June 20. 1892 the
average cost Of carrying one passenger one
mile. to the railroads comprising group 6.
as given by the interstate commerce COM
mission was as 2Ss 2ss, cents for the year end
authority, it was 2.oas cents. '4' 'A"'
The Iowa report for 1895 shows only ten
roads which returned the average cost OF
carrying one passenger one mile. The
average cost to those ten companies is 214
cents. The result is less reliable than IL 1t
were founded upon return made by all Of
the roads: which would probably materially
In arriving at the cost Of carrying one
passenger one mile, as above given nothing
is charged on account of the expense of the
railroads for interest. rents. taxes and
fixed charges and. Of course.
nothing for dividends on stock. The pas
senger traffic should, of course. bear its
proportion of these expenses. which con-
ness. For the year ending June 30, 1893.
in group 6. these fixed charges amounted
to sT4,53 .564. Under the rule of apportion-
s hs Of ahis eHpense
should be charged to passenger traffic,
which would make the entire cost in ac-
cordance with their figures of carrying one
passenger one mile in this group of rail-
roads 2.91 cents. 1t would be proper to
offset against this the earnings on account
Of mail, express and excess baggage. which
for group for the year ending
June 90, 1893. amounted to s11. .S29 S65. so tnat
from the statistics compiled by the inter-
state commerce commission 1t appears that
to charge the passenger business Of tho
railroads with Its proportionate share Of
fixed charges. not including anything.
however. on account of dividends and
crediting. 1t with mail and express earnings.
would give us as the actual cost 2.57
The foregoing statements which are
at this time would Indicate:
'First-That the average fare at the
present time charged In Iowa is not above
the actual cost of transporting the pas
''Second-That within the last three or
four years passenger earnings have de-
creased without a corresponding decrease
In the cost of doing the business
uet me interrupt here to say that I am
quoting exactly the words of the Iowa
The document from which I
quote is on record. The commission then
proceeds)
Rates in Other Countries.
Some of the considerations tending to
throw light upon this subject are the rates
OF fare elsewhere.
UNLESS changes have recently been made
that that have not come to the notice of the
in the countries named:
ENGLAND.
First class ......................4.2 cents
9ecoHu CLASS ....-...-....-........S.2 cents
i ilI CldSS cents
FRANCE.
sesa seeond diaIs eiass s..:.:...:.a. cents cents
l hl u SidSS cents
ITALY.
Fdrst CLASS ............................ cents
second a on class cents
l hiIu CidSS .l.S cents
HOLLAND.
SeCOilu CLASS ..--....-.................2. cents
nlrd CLASS q cents