The Portland daily press., 1899-03-10

.ITnHnisfA
stomach troubles mailed free. Audress
4 A. Stuart. Co., Marshal, Mich.
-.----------------------------
series of comparisons of the business OF
the wear 1917 ard the year ls9S, in regard
to all the railroads Of the state. found
that. generally Speaking, the average rate
per mile had been slightly reduced. with,
in most cases slight increase OF 10
change at all in earnings. In the case Of
the Maine Central railroad l made an IN
fortunate error. 1t seems that the table
used from the report OF the commissioners
OF 1897 was made up from the business of
the read for the state Of Maine, while
the table used for the YER leYS was made
up from the business nf the entire line.
Now a comparison OF these figures shows
an apparently large increase in the pas
senger earnings of this railroad, and l
naturally drew the conclusion, and had
10 hesitation in saying so, that even n
this change cost the road fully as much
as 1t had been claimed it would. the bust
ness of the road was amply able to stand
such change. Some OF my friends
thought that under the circumstances the
error that made was natural. sotre have
said 1t was excusable While l appreciate
their kindness in being ready 10 excuse
me, do not find 1t so easy to excuse my
self, and / do not try to do SO. think it
is generally conceded, however, that the
error was one that was honestly made. IT
was not called 30 my attention until the
day of the hearing, and then under cir
cumstanoes calculated to be peculiarly
EN- barrassing. can only say now that
the figures used for the purpose eff COM
parison being wrong, the conclusions
based solely upon them were wrong also,
AS a matter of fact it appeara that the
Maine Central railroad in common with
all the other roads in the state, has slight
Iy reduced its average rate per mile, with
no substantial change in ito passenger
earnlngs--tbere being, in point of fact,
slight loss, instead Of, as | supposed a
large gain.
But this whole matter does not depend
upon any series Of calculations, and is not
disposed of by any single error in any
single table of figures. In fact, one of the
difficulties in the matter is that it does
not yield TO calculations. The exact re-
suits of this change cannot be calculated
cannot b. estim2ted, with any degres of
accuracy. The removal &C the RESTRICT ons
now placed upon the safe II mileage
books would undoubtedly result in a
larger sale OF them, which would be &C
companied by decreased sale of local
tickets resulting in the reduction of the
average rate per mile. This reduction
would undoubtedly bs tho cause of in
creased travel and an increase of the pas
ssnger earnings; but whether the Increase
in earnings would wholly make up for
the loss in the average rate per mile is
something that we DO not know; and the
suggestion is made rs to whether it is fair
and just to compel the roads to submit to
an experiment the results Of which are
SO uncertain. Now the force of this
reasoning has appealed TO all of the sup
porters OF the original measure. so that,
Mt the time of the hearing before this rail
rond committee, it was suggested to the
committeeman the uggestioDlimplied
doubt, of course, in the minds of the sup
porteTs of the bill-that if the committee
believed it was not wise to pass the bill
as it had been drafted, the committee
might at least grant a part of the prayer
OF these petitioners; il the committee
were not satisfied that it was wise TO re-
move all restrictions placed upon the sale
of mileage books. they might at least To-
move part of them; If the ticket could
not be made good for bearer, it might at
least be made goo1 for a man and his
family, or for the members of the same
firm, provided the names Of the family or
of the firm were written in the book at
the time of purchase But this commit
tee, after having taken time for careful
and thorough elaboration, has reported
adversely upon the original measure, and,
rs understand it, that legislation is in
ezpedient on the entire subject,
''Now, MIR Speaker, it makes no par
ticular difference to any one except my
self what my cwn personal opinion may
be, but 1t certainly does seem so me that
railroads might issue such books without
seriously inJuring themselves, and under
ssms circumstances l should DO disposed
to make an effort to secure that result by
means of legislation. But l do not do so
because believe that results in that same
direction may effeetuallys5e accomplished
without legislation.
's1here is another reason, also, which
induces me to take this position, and that
mr. Ruiz. Cough syrup has beea initiated