The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-01-25
TO ABOLISH SECOND CLASS RAIL
ROAD FARE.

a bill has been introduced in the
road cars and fare and TO make a
single rate of three cents a mile.
For some years---in fact ever since
the Jim Crow cars We're ordered on
all trains-the railroads have oean
anxious to abolish the second class
cars, provided they could make
straight rate of three cents a mile.
Under the present passenger tariff,
the flst-class rate is Ia cents and
the second-class rate is 2 ga cents
q difference of one-half cent a mile.
Under the bill to have only one fare
and fix it at three cents, the poorer
people who travel second-class would
have the cost of travelling increased
one-haf cent q mile, or fourteen cents
from Raleigh to Durham, while those
best able 70 pay would have their
fare decreased bv & like sum- TO
state that proposition is to show how
unjust would be a law making a sim
gle fare of three cents. 1t would pc
adding 10 the burdens Of those least
able to bear them and reducing the
burdens upon the richer passengers.
The Railroad Commission was cS~
tablished in 1901. and the passenger
rate was fixed at 3 Ia cents for first
class fare ana 5-4 Second-class fare.
Since that time the passenger receipts
have more than doubled and yet there
has been no decrease in the RATES TO
the travelling public. In 1894 the
passenger revenue from al ROADS in
North Carolina was $2.032,3A7. In
1904 the passenger revenue in North
Carolina had grown to S4,oS5,l54-
had more than doubled in ten years
and yet the travelling public has re-
ceived no reduction.
The man who buys a single ticket,
first-class. pays 5 Ia cents, and the
man who buvs a single second-class
ticket pays IA cents, and yet, ac-
cording 20 the sworn statements OF the
railroads they actually get only .oZ42
cents for every person carried
They make the man 0ao buys his
passengers and all the low excursion
rates ana special rates. And now
they come forward and ask North
Carolina TO increase the charge on
second-class passengers one-haf cent
a mile. Not much. gentlemen
The sworn reports to the Corpora
ton Commission in 1904 show the
following average passenger rate per
mile on the various railroads:
Atlantic Coast Line ........ Wa
Seaboard Air Line ............ .0Z54
Southern Railway .-........ .Ozo9
Al, railroads. including mis-
cellaneouS roads ........... .OZ4Z
The rapid growth OF railroad re-
ceipts in North Carolina makes it evil
dent thSt the time has come when
there ought to be a decrease in freight
and passenger rates. AS shown above.
the passenger receipts have grown
from $2,032,347 in 1894 TO $4.OS5,154
in 1901. The total growth in re-
ceipts freight and passenger. have
Increased S12,000.o00, or 10 be exact;
The gross earnings of all railroads III
1894 was $S,864,911. In 19O4--just
ten years-the receipts had grown to
s20,3S7.940.
Do not these figures show that the
people have right to demand some
decrease in freight and passenger
rates. The cost Of operating the
roads has, of course, increased some
in these ten years. but EothinS like in
proportion TO the increase of revenue.
The travelling public is entitled :"
q straight rate OF two and hall
ceipts OH North Carolina Rallroaos.
The receipts justify such reduction at
once and if the people are treated
Justly ard tho railroads also treated
Justly, a two and half cent passcl-
GER rate will SOON 90 into effect IN
this State.