The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-06-24
TWO CENT FARE BOON
/. TO ROADS, SMITH SAYS
Reduction Would Cause increase
in Travel and Be Beneficial, .
Congressman Declares.
, BY w. w. Jermane.


Washington, June pa bill INTRO
Sherman of New York, the new chair
man Of the republican national con-
gressional committee, is attracting the
favorable attention. of many Of the
members of both houses of congress.
The bill provides for uniform rate
Of cents a mile per passenger on all
interstate railroads and for a uniform
mileage book good on all such roads,
and also does away with the PRACTICE
sand-mi]e book and refunding $40 Of
the sum when the cover is returned
after the mileage has been used.
Among the members who have
studied this question closely is Con-
gresham Samuel W. Smith of Michi--
gan. Mr.. Smith, in fact, had a bill Of
the same kind in course Of preparation
making the Smith bill unnecessary. In
speaking Of the matter today Mr..
Smith said: ..' o:.
Benefit to Roads.
81 have given so much attention to
| this legislation that have become con-
WINGED that when this bill becomes
benefited by it as anybody. 1t can be
said in justice to the railroads that
they are now giving rates which are,
in many Instances, lower than 2 cents
mile. For instance, the distance be-
tween, Detroit and Washington by rail
is more than 800 miles, and yet the
fare is only $14.25, and numerous other
instances could be cited. But I be-
lieve a uniform rate Of cents a
| increase travel and will result in bene-
fit to the railroads in that way, while
at the same time it will be rendering
tardy justice to the travelling public by
wiping out all the bother Of variations
in rates and in some sections Of extor-
ton on the part Of the railroads.
Some years ago the Detroit, Grand
Haven & Milwaukee railroad charged
$1.45 for round-trip ticket and 80
Pontiac, a distance Of thirty six miles.
The railroad company insisted that It
could not reduce the rates, but in a
short time after an electric railroad
was built between Detroit and Pontiac,
giving a rate each. way of Is
cents, the steam railroad company
reduced it's rates to the same figure,
and the company as well as the public
f PffeVSa " the eH9 Bell Telephone
pany formerly charged 20 cents fol
three minutes talk between Detroit
and Pontiac and insisted that this rate
could not be cut, because to do sc
would mean ruin. But when the Oak
land Telephone company was organized
at Pontiac and began to build its line
toward Detroit, the Bell company re
duced its rate to 10 cents, and thereby
added immensely to the number of it:
affected, and even in the country
among the farmers. I am Of thu
; opinion that there is now no community
: in the state better supplied with tele
: phones than the country about Pontiac
!. and I am sure that the people have no
alone been benefited by the reduction
of rates. .s.s. T..
J Telegraph Rates. Too.
"The same will be true if we ca:
get legislation to reduce the rates O.
kilograms. know that with the ne1
and improved, machinery which ha
graph g companies have SO far de decl int
I to use, it would be possible for ma
in New York to deposit letter of 10
. words in the postoffce and have
sent by wire to Chicago for Is cent
and to receive reply in his office i
New York Of the same number q
words before business closes on tina
" | 1NOW IL tnAo C1A NO uOuSs WI
should we not take hand to make
possible7 And if we can demonstrat
that uniform mileage book will NJ
work a hardship to the railroads an
will be blessing to the people, VIII
not go ahead and force the railroads I
provide it.
"The state Of Pennsylvania is no
having some. interesting litigation wit
the Pennsylvania railroad regardin
this subject, and I have watched
with unusual care, for the railroad b;
already acknowledged that It has tie
up in its hands over 100000 Of tt
peoples money in the $40 excess {
each mileage book issued and sold.
Tn Michigan this abuse is eve
worse than in Pennsylvania, for son
Of the Michigan roads no longer retul
the $40, but only 1915, declaring tn,
rs cents is kent for the printing Of IL
cover. I feel that it is high time th
congress does something to give 8
people equal access to railroad mileag
for it is nothing but commodity al
ought to cost the same to every ma
no matter where he may buy it. Al
by making all books interchangeab
ID the people will be accommodated al
lg the railroads saved from an interim
TO able system of bookkeeping in keepil
~ track of their passenger bushes