Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-02-24
rwo.cEmr aILEAse.
CONTINUED from page 81

"a careful examination of the returns
Of the Maine Central Railroad Company
shows that the average receipts per pas
in iSss. against 2357 in 1897, or mill
and rs of a mill less in 1898 than in 1897,
1.SI cents in 1898, against 1884 In 1897 or
s Of a mill less than In 1897. This reduc-
lion of rates on this road makes d, one nun ,n
earnings for the current year and ac-
counts for the increase in the volume of
business This 1t will be seen is just So
much saved for the patrons of this road"
-;'hat is our record last year.
Now gentlemen, as say we increased
our net earnings about AiW1 which
compared with the tota. receipts Of this
road. It is a very small percentage
doubt ii any gentleman here would think
that that was unreasonable, or that Il
would be unreasonable for us TO lay that
up as a surplus againS. such contingent
cies as might arise.
have gone by. which have been years of
great business depression there have been
certain things neglected. Nothing. re-
certain round houses which ought to be
built. So far as this Loco is CONCERNED
the contract recently signed to build the
station at Brunswick will take care OF
that. 1t will go into that station and en-
ure to the benefit of the patrons of this
road. Some of you might think that
That this station should have been built
sooner, but the demand for reduction IN
rates has postponed it; until now it is to
1t must be built. They have no suitable
accommodation there. You won't for a
moment consider that the road should
not make some provision for these Things
and lay up and carry a fair surplus.
Now the gentlemen in presenting this
case have given figures here which
wotild Indicate that we had made net
increase in earnings Of some s366.ooo, or
whatever the sum might be. and on the
strength of that they come here and say
that we can well afford to reduce the
revenues through these mileage tickets
that Is, to make them good TO bearer.
They have computed as an outside fig
,ire that such reduction would amount to
$4,000 provided there were no local ticb-
cts sold. Now I want to call your atten-
ton right here TO an error that exists
for a moment that there would be no To-
cal tickets sold. but these gentlemen
have assumed that II the very worst
should happen, mat ALL II Livery every person cIs
that then the revenues would not be re-
duced except to two cents mile.
cts. that are sold at d less rate than two
ceits? For tickets are sold at less than
two cents and the average would drop at
onfe below two lent cents mile The te, are
sold at less than just two CENTS mile.
In considering the passenger earnings
YOU must consider that it Is all the pas as
that the tickets that are sold to the State
fair, and for the summer business to the
shore,--the excursions that are run all
through the summer from inland points
to the shore. none of them Will Inquire up
to two cents a mne. SO you will see that
when say that the probable decrease In
earnings from the use OF those mileage
tickets good to bearer would amount to
from one hundred and fifty thousand dol
Tors to two hundred thousand dollars. to
~ Ian rnf hxy a n a q
Stunning that everyone Is to ride upon
mileage book These special tickets must
he continued. The people want to go to
the shore. The Saturday tickets are sold
atya. fare and tenth, think, and that
would at once bring the average down
utjow two cents. These must be contin,
ued. 1t doesn't take "A reduction of all
liJcalffares to two cents by any means to
hvtngs the average down to two cents. :
Now. this road had last year had such
agsurplus of earnings through the eco
n0mical management Of the road that it
had as the railroad commissioners say
$4,000 which it could distribute to the
public. or which 1t did distribute to the
We come here and come here. frankly
tosstate to you these facts and these fs-
oailed in question we desire that the peo-
piesof this State and you as their repre-
seHtatjves should have. the fullest infor-
management of this, road. The MANAGE
ment Keeps its handlupon the pulse of
the income and knows very quickly from
what it is doing it doesn't take them
long TO discover that by the economy
which they practiced thev had something
with which they sc, e3%d heip IN
public the benefit of sl64.oOO of IT,. What
you think of that for a proportion, Tor
the ratio that was given to the public?
was liberality in the extreme Common
prudence would not allow them to go any
further under any circumstances: The
exigences that demanded reduction IN
certain directions caused them to go thus
far to share With the %rod ro%e VINO n was
ket in the ratio of 16i to l76 the savings
that they. were able to make;
We could If we had held the freight
rates where they We're have afforded to re-
duee the earnings through the issue of
tickets good to bearer as asked for here.
We might have done it. Should We have
done 1t? Do you believe from the infor-
mation you have before you that it would
have been right and proper for us under
the circumstances which existed to have
applied the money which was to be paid
ont throughout this State for the benefit
Of the most people? Would the State at
large, the great business interests of the
state have been beneiilted more by our
marking these tickets good to bearer and
holding our freight ratcs\ where they
road to respond to the demand of the
business interests in the reduction OF
freight rates to meet the necessities OF
competition in the markets where this
produce mad to go.
Now the commercial travellers come
here and ask for this two cent mileage
Well, you all know the commercial tray
clers. There Is no town in this State but
what Is visited by them. They are a
genial. jovial set of good fellows They
come down here and they travel through
the State. They bring To us the latest
fashions and the newest stories; We are
glad to see them shouldn't know how
to get along without them. They travel
in good style and they live in good style
they have good rooms at the hotels and
We have the best relations with them
all through the State. They have come
to he a necessity of their trade: they
look out for themselves pretty well, and
1t Is right that they should. and ii Is
hard work to deny them anything that
they ask. They. as whole. get along
pretty well and they nave had a two
cent mileage on which they have tray
cled that was good for themselves. Now
they say. some of them. that they would
like to have their wives and families put
into this two-cent mileage book. Well
! don't wonder that they would. / don't
know but they would like to have a
mileage lower than two cents, presume
they would. And still. / don't believe
that they want to do II at the expense
OF the service furnished by these rail
roads We all of us would like to get
Things cheaper If we could. l would like
10 nave flour two dollars barrel and