The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1905-02-16
The Average Amount for Which
Each Passenger is Carried
Is Sixty Cents.
SAME SYSTEM ON STREET CARS.
It Would Vastly Increase the Net
Earnings Of the Roads and
Build Up the West.


The street car service of the city Is
the same in its nature as Is the rail-
way passenger service OF the nation.
Had the railways of the United
States been operated as one road (lsO2)
as is the street car service OF a city,
and had the rate been 60 cents Tor eacn
passenger, as is five cents for street
car regardless of distance, the ROADS
would have received the same gross
revenue they did get. This IS pro-
yided. they carried no more nor less
passengers than they did. But, the
facts are that the passenger service,
would. under the postal theory, IN
crease ten-fold or more, over the IN
diyidualized mileage theory. The ave-
rage train carries but fOrty-flve pas
sengers (see page 81 interstate COM
merce statistical report 1902. The ca
Dacity of each coach is from hfty 10
sixty passengers. The writer has often
ridden upon trains where the passenger
traffic could easily have been carried
in one coach. Why is that SO! be-
cause the per mile rate system re-
strains travel and is in restraint OF
business. Think for moment what
per-block system OF street car charge
would result in, with rate OF half cent
ner block (which rate would be no
higher for street car service than IS
three cents per mile for passenger
servicel. 1t would shrink the value OF
the out-laying blocks, beyond, say ten
blocks from the center of business, ex-
actly as ton per mile rates OF freight
ana mileage rates for passenger service
does land values on railways. And It
would also shrink the earning value
Of street car property to the point OF
confiscation. Such system OF rate MAX
ING for street cars would make 1t plain
to anyone how urgent it is that law
be enacted that all roads should make
enforceable contracts for division o1
traffic making IL transportation ma
tional. and the rate fixed one, aDsO-
lutte and based on the average rate
shown during the life of the Interstate
commerce commission to have been re.
ceived by the railways.
Put in the average passenger ratt
and the average number OF passenger
on a train, would be raised from Al
to 500: this, without materially in
creasing expense of conducting pas
senger traffic. The average gross IN
come per train for it's average distance
OF travel from passenger service, Woult
be raised from $27 to $500.
The railways take spurts giving ex
cursion rates. The writer remember
a round TRIP rate of So made betWeel
Chicago, ILL.,, and st. Paul, Mimi. TIL
regular one way fare was 1910 0
s19.4O for the trip to st. Paul and bac
on the mileage basis. The rush c
travel called for three or four section
for each train. They were loaded t
their capacity and suppose the averag
to have been five coaches they got S9O
Der round trip train, which they couI
as costing for service about 81 pt
mile or $500 for that trip. They WEI
only about $50 per train to the goo
on their passenger service or lltt
under 10 per cent profit.
RI was claimed that this So excursio
round trip service to ST. Paul fro
Chicago was not profitable. No dout
Let us examine the case from post
basis which we claim is the true ra
basis. The average distance per ha
for each passenger on the business
the United States was 80 l-3 miles, t
average rate of fare (the true rat
60 cents. From Chicago to st. Paul
41O miles, back to Chicago makes 8
miles. This is just twenty-fOur tim
the average haul. The So rate tn
made was just five times the avera
rate. Had they received for that int
yidual rate the true rate based up
the average they would have charg
"a times 60 cents or $134G for ca
passenger. When you select someo