The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1905-02-16

haul out of the whole traffic OF the
you individualize that maui
and destroy the relation and in the case |
above cited the rate was but five times |
the average received for each passen-
ger while the distance of the haul was
"a times the average, and yet they lost
no money on that business, which
shows the wonderful margin OF re-
ductions that are possible to be made
in passenger service under an enllght-
ened management of that business.
Get this fact fixed in your mind, dl-
gest it as you would meal and make
il part of yourself and you will be-
gin to understand this question. An
average embraces the longest haul and
the shortest haul and every interme-
date haul. 1t is the true basis from
which to figure service to the public,
by quasi-public corporations. The ave-
rage rate embraces the largest amount
paid for any ticket and the smallest
amount and every intermediate rate is
contained in that average rate. This
I is true of passenger service, this is
true Of freight service. You are en-
titled to a 60 cent passenger rate any
distance, long or short. You should
permit roads to pool and make en-
forcible contracts among themselves
| for divisions of revenue And II they
get into a fight 'on that division, let
the courts settle at the expense OF the
roads proper adjustment of those divi-
/ fn a five cont
freight rate, for that is the average
rate on the postal basis for freight
service. If you do not know enough to
demand what is due you, you ought not
to have it. If you have the capacity to
think for yourself and the determine
ton to force your public servants, the
law makers, to put the result OF youl
thinking into statute law, you will have
the relations between all citizens made
| right. If we know no more than the
horse. we should be hitched up to pull
the load, as most of us are. You ano
I are treated as well as we deserve, be-
cause We deserve 10 more than as units
!. OF a community, we know how tt
administer for the community.
The man who is bribed by pas.
gets sixty cents # value for his per
!, | fidy, each ride he takes ON the railroad
! To the railways the pass holders rid,
, looks like go cents, but he looks to tn
! writer like thirty cents. Study tn
passenger service table under tn
group map of the United States (puf
, lished on page of the Feb.9 issue) yo
, | sists of Nebraska, Colorado, north O
: an east and west line through Denver
Wyoming, Montana and the Dakota
west of the Missouri river. That is
: big country, with no large cities com
manding interurban traffic to lower tn
average rate. For that reason ou
group stands at the head of the ave
q rage in long haul ard large outlay pc
: individual The iron hand of railWa
( discrimination has been laid on ever
mile to an extent which would hav
depopulated it as Sahara, had it nc
been for natural fertility, boundles
: mineral resources and work of tn
! hardy pioneers who make up the POI
: ulation. We often hear the questio
asked. what would we do without tI
:. railroads? 1t could as well be aske
what could the reads do without tt
: people to prove that railways can M
- be mismanaged.
!, The fact that the public donate
,f money and lands sufficient to build a
e the roads in Group VII, might be a
= argument for more reasonable rate
- But we discuss this subject only {
~ it's merits, without prejudice to legit
- mate railroading or to the public.
-. A. J. GUSTIN Kearney, Neb.
~
ra NJ, p a,l, Dnnplo ;n Naxv Yorlr