The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-08-06
PARL0R CAR RATES.
Boston Man Asks Commerce Commission TO
Investigate Changes OF Consolidated.

Boston. Aug 6.-Whether the New
York. New Haven and Hartford railroad
is within its rights in protecting through
passenger traffic In its chair cars be-
tween New York and Boston at the ex-
pense OF local passengers, or whether its
practice OF charging as much for the
parlor car seat for a short distance as for
the through trip is illegal. is question
that Is brought 10 the In terstate COM
merce commission 10 decide, and by a
Boston man.
Mr.. e d. Hewins. a young cotton mer-
chant at 72 Lincoln street, having occa-
sion often to use the chair cars OF the
Consolidated. has brought the matter TO
the attention of the Washington authori-
ties. and ruling is expected In due
course OF time.
There is no feeling in the matter. the
complaint having been made in good faith
and as a sort OF test case TO determine
II what the short distance traveller con-
siders n discrimination can legally be
mainta ined.
The facts are not at all in dispute. on
certain six and six and n half hour trains
out OF New York for Boston the charge
for a chair in the parlor car is 81. IL
the passenger Is ticketed TO Boston IL Is
81. II he is only going TO New Haven 1t
Is stin 81.
BY this level charge the road protects
the through passenger. who is thereby
more likely to secure a seat In the chair
car and the road may also claim that
selling a chair 10 New Haven makes II
likely to be vacanr from New Haven
TO Boston. whereas II might have been
sold in New York for the through pas
sage had IL not been for the New Haven
man. But the road sells a seat In the
chair car going from New Haven 10 New
York for 80 cents and II II gets chance
IL will sell the seat chair vacated by the
New Haven man from New Haven To
Providence for 7b cents.
The charges complained of are in force
from the New York terminal. from Bos-
ton certain influences have brought about
a 5O-cent rate to Providence, despite the
fact that the same arguments as 10 pro-
tecting the through passengers and spoil
ing the sale OF the seat from terminal
to terminal apply.
The result OF the rate sheet in force
on trains from New York IL to dis
courage the use OF the chair car. with Its
comfort and conveniences. by passen-
gers who are not going through; or TO
subject them 10 what seems 10 them an
extortionate charge. The decision OF the
Interstate Commerce commission. what
ever Il In. will go far 10 relieve one i'm
portant factor I'm the situation, for the
feeling that one is being called upon to
pay an unjust rate is often more annoy
ing than the actual payment
The Consolidated officials agree that
the above Is a fair statement OF the
facts that exist, adding LAT the reason
the same rate scheme does not apply to
trains from the Boston eTrd OF their line
is that Providence being a large city
with intimate relations with New York
and heavy travel 10 New York a num-
ber OF seats from Providence TO New
York are reserved for Providence people.
This seats can be sold at the 0-cent
rate from Boston To Providence, because
they do not enter into the through train
proposition until the Boston train ar
rives I'm Providence. The road en-
phaslzes the factor OF protection to
through passengers rs the chief one In
their position. They point out. moreover
that the rate sheet complained OF APP
plies only TO certain trains-mostly six
hour trains. on which tie through traffic
In heavy.