Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1902-02-28
VT. FRIDAY, FEB. %, 1902.
The Mileage Book Nonsense.


books that is likely to grow in EN-
phasis every day if the gubernatoria
canvass should develop, according t.
present indications, into struggle be
tween the two chief railroad systems
of the state. When the Central Yer
mont controlled the Rutland road j
issued mileage books over it as its othe
lines, practically even though not nom
inally at first, good to bearer, 1000 miles
for 500. When the road passed into the
control of P. W. Clement the books
were made good only to the person
whose name was written on the covel
and the immediate members of his
family, and the conductors, were re-
quired to enforce the rule with strict
ness. These tickets were later made
interchangeable with Fitchburg mile
ages. but when the latter became part
of the Boston e. Maine system, the
500 mile book appeared at "a cents a
mile, with Just as severe restrictions.
Some months ago some fellow that
wanted to help DIR. Webb, announced
that his supremacy in the Rutland sys
tenn meant the issue of 1000 mile
tickets no as liberal terms as others,
But it turns out that the new books,
which made their appearance the first
of the month, are less liberal than be-
fore. Each ones use is limited to four
persons, members of the family, whose
names must be written in space pro-
vided and it is not good for passage
unless signed by the buyer who agrees
to give satisfactory proof of identity
by writing or otherwise when required
by the conductor. And of course there
is at least nominal liability of forfeit
ure of the ticket if attempt is made to
use it in violation of the contract.
1t is easy to see that the thing is ca
Fable of quite an ad captandum argu-
ment as the Webb Mccullough fight
warns up; though the truth is that
the Rutland road is doing in business
fashion what it is generally the pre-
tense to do with all mileage tickets.
The truth back of it all is that the
mileage ticket system is without JUS
>tification, and if the present incident,
with all its pettiness, has the result of
focusing public attention on its folly |
and injustice it may be worth while as
helping to its ultimate sweeping away.
,e ;rrhv
cause of the right of eminent domain
exercised and it's fares and freight
charges are only tolls, like those of our
old turnpikes, to reimburse the private
capital invested, in opening and oper
ating this improved kind of highway
This highway relation carries with it
fundamentally the obligation to make
the charges fixed, uniform and reason
able Theoretically and ethically it is
the highwayman' act to exact higher ,
tolls from one man than another-and
worse than the highwayman's when
the discrimination is in favor of the {
rich against the poor. AS a practical I
matter and because of the vast differ :
ence in the cost of the service, the f
conditions of modern civilization have e
required a modification of the strict G
rule of highways in permitting the in \
PRODUCTION of the wholesale and retail n
principle, and that of greater proper o
5ionate charges for long than short dis Il
-ances, in the use of railroads and {
their facilities. r
But there is nothing of this princi- Il
pie in the mileage ticket,as there is in "
rates, which may be justifi- S,
able. The man who buys mileage uses N
t in his own time and his own pleas 81
Ire, and after he has taken one trip of e,
90 miles it is no cheaper for the rail ST
Dad to transport him the other nine fir
rips of equal distance than it would u,
lave been if he had bought ten sepa- m
ate trip tickets. His transportation b,
S furnished him at retail just as
nuch as to any other passenger. He
S favored solely because he is able to to
dvance $40 instead of S2-the last rea- ly
on in the world why he should be ia m
ored in a country of supposedly free hi
nd equal laws. The only possible diff to
erence to the railroad is in the inter
st on the money advanced, and this &C
lust largely be offset by the extra n,
required. be
Practically, unless severe restrictions ca
Ike those of the Rutland road are at su
empted, the mileage system at once +,
ssolves itself into one for the profit of or
rokers and scalpers. 1t is only those go
bo are least used to the ways of the au
orld that now buy local tickets N,
Let the law do the right thing, the ap
ling the highway principle plainly to
,quires, and compel the sale to every SCI
ody at uniform rate of two cents a 70
lie or whatever the necessary price Va
ay be, ana the railroads themselves me
well as the public will be better off, de
stween them will save what the brok- 'o
and speculator now gets and the
light loss in the reduction of local su'
res will be far more than made up wa
the increased travel There has
lrdly been case in all railroad his
ry where reduced prices have not cae