The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1899-11-07
GOVERNMENT RAILROADS
Passengers Could be Carried at Very
Low Rates.

Passengers Gould be Carried at Very
Low Rates.
Extracts from Prof. Frank Parsons'
article on railroads In the Arena.
In 1889. the government roads Of
Austro Hungary reduced fares in many
cases to J. and in some cases even TO
1 OF former rates. the average reduc-
ton being more than 40 per cent. for
the whole system; yes the tre fiji ; 80
much in ra8eed that the total receipts
we're $432 600 more than the year be
fore, and, IN 1890, with traffic nearly
fourtold what it was in 1888. and over
twica what it was in 1889, the total re
ceiOts exceeded those or 1889 by 81,
$50 900, indicating q gain, in Two years,
of over two millions upon the year be-
fore the z)ne system, WREN its re-
duced tariff was introduced. And this
is practically clear prof5, for tire rail
way authorities declare that the ex
penses of the roads have not increased,
the natural addition OF expense due to
increase OF traffic bainE balanced by
better methods. As the ne5 income in
1883 was halt the gross receipts, with
the average passenger rate at 13
cents a mile, and freight at ! 5 cents
per ton a mile, and a reduction OF 40
per cent. has only served to increase
the revenues and profits, iG is clear that
a reduction to ! II enG a mile for pas.
sengers, and the same fur a ton of
freight per mile, would be practicable
even without any increase of traffic.;
and with the increase Of custom sure
to come, there would still be a good
profit even at these low rates.
Many roads-like the Nav York.
New Haven & Hartford, the Boston &
Albany, and others-sell seasOn tickets
at a little more than ! a cent a mile.
They would not do this if they did not
know that cent a mile more than
covered the cost. The Pennsylvania,
Reading. Lehigh Valley, Old Colony,
Boston & Maine, FItchhurg and others
sell season tickets at z 10 OF a cent a
mile. l am assured That the roads
never figure on less than so per Calr
profit in their passenger trafi ; ev Ii H.
their Communication rates, and an roe
who notes the hundreds OF loaded
trains that leave their depots every
day, and then remembers that with a
full tram of 400 passengers the z 10
rate would yield $50 per cent. profit.
and wigh 900 passengers 400 per cent.
protig-any n who pOnders this will
realfz3 L3as the roads are not running
themselves at half c2nt rates, and RIIl
b9gin TO sae how Ihey can pay di7i-
d9nds IN their oveTgrown cspitaliz u
ton. III returns % the Z Iglsh Board
OF Trade, "a z v q by M Wm Gale IN
his evidences before the r ,yaI C.mmis
SION on Il .Iiways, show thai she cost
OF ruunl.g a passenger train one mila
va IS cen i In 1865, c jsouiy 80 ,4nsa
nO1) aud with trains cary ing from
500 g l 600 p>s Ienger5 ca n, the aver
age c-ss OF taxing 4 passenger one
''@NAS WI AN90 gAACAA L ~ - . ~ Sb
Specific instances we're gwen in WI CT
rail waYs heH, for long periods, rexu
larry carried passengers a, can't q
mile, first class, and t Of RceuG, second
class. F.r example, the London and
North Western Company Carried pas
ssngers first class on fast trains from
Lone on 90 Manchester aud return at !
cent a mlIs, aud made a pref of 200
p r cen5, On the transaction, saowing
tnat tue cost was about l 6 of q ctn>
per mile Fl 81 class
In che United States the average
cost Of moving a passenger train one
mile is 50 cents, or about IA cents G. car
miie aceCr ling TO the rail way reports
A mDdera1@ train OF ordinary coaches
viii carry 400 to 900 persons, so that
with we'll filed trains the cost is Dor
more tran l 5 Of a cent a passenger b
mile AL the exp>nees OF ra;l~a,
traffic are taken inTO account in fgur
ing the 80 cent cost per train mile
every train mile has to bear it's bro
portion Of rebates, corruption money,
and nnumerable wastep); and as /
have ehown that these expenses will
De reduced ! at least by public owner
ship the cost per train mile will fall to
cents, and the cost Of carrying q
passenger one mile in a full train will
be .15 to Oh Of a cent.