The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-11-21
HOW MUCH IS a PASS WORTH
A Problem Which Is PuzzIing OmciaIs
in Georgia.

"A AAOOACAAl w HIGH Is I-uZXuD& officials
in Georgia.
Years ago the state of Georgia was
operating the Northeastern railroad. a
39-mile local line which it had taken
under foreclosure of bonds guaranteed.
says the Railway Age. In payment Of
a claim of the Sims estate for property
taken as right of way the governor
gave each of the eleven heirs a life pass
over the road. Subsequently the state
transferred the road to the Southern
railway and the purchasing corporation
Thereafter denied the life pass holders
the privilege Of riding free. The hold
ers appealed to the legislature and that
body has authorized the governor and
attorney general to settle with the
heirs The property taken under this
trade was claimed to be worth $4,000
but the state reasons that inasrnuch as
the heirs decided it for eleven life passes
the adjustment Of their claim must be
based upon the value of the passes and
not upon the value of the property
hence the governor and attorney gem
eral are studying over the problem.
what is the value of a life railway pass
on a 39-mile road in the interior Of
Georgia? Suppose the property for
which eleven passes were exchanged
was worth $4,000; then each heirs pass
was worth $727.27. Now assuming the
passenger rate on that hill country
road was cents a mile, then each heir
could get his moneys We th in 373 rides
round trips. But that would require
only six months riding at but one
round trip q day; while each of the
heirs may still enjoy the expectation OF
many years of. life, according to the
mOrtuary tables. If, now, each pass BIZ
moderate daily use may be made to
yield a value of 1927 in half a year,
or 81, asa in year, it is easy to see that
in a life time Of, say, 20 years that
perennial pasteboard may be shown 20
1,o ra1 Of of 1cnc To -.
heir, or an aggregate worth to all
those affected of 1919, $50. The state
therefore, would do well to be cautious
about conceding. that the claim is worth
the present value Of the eleven passes,
for it would not take much of a lawyer
to convince a jury of the plain people
that these misused heirs have a life
estate in thes- pass contract which is
worth many times the original price OF
$4,000
Kansas politicians and members OF
the legislature would Indignantly deny
the fairness Of this method Of arriving
at the value of an annual pass.
Do You Know?
Do you know that every day the San
ia Fe pays out nearly $500 for track
walkers and Watchmen2 And 81 $50 for
nearly $4,000 for the coal and oil that
these locomotives consumer The ex-
pense Of maintaining the. equipment IN
apple-pie order reaches the. enormous
sum of almost SIC, 1000 every "a hours
Keeping up the roadway. rails. ties,
bridges, buildings and telegraph sys-
TEN, costs a fifth more than the equip
ment item. It takes lots of ready cash
to run a railroad just right. While the
Santa Fe Is liberal in its advertising,
few persons would thing that It cost the
company more money the last fiscal
year to keep snow, ice and weeds off
the track than it did to pay for it's
newspaper and magazine advertise
mentss books of travel, timetable fold
ers. pictures, etc The insurance item
was almost as large.
E.rerr,,oa, reada a. etnfo L.,