Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-08-03
RAILROADS ON RATE LAW
PFUuinsnt Passenger and Freight Officials
ssy Part is impossible.
PRINTING AND POSTING TARIFFS BAD
Roth Declare that strict COnfOFmancs
to Certain Sections Would En-
tail Gross and Expensive
Burdens on Roads,


AZ the time approaches for the new rate
bill 70 go into effect railroad officials arc
wondering how what they term its i'm
poseible provisions" will be met. August
y II not far away and still the railroads
arc making no move 20 comply with the
features which compels them to print
tariff giving the rates from every point on
thsir line to every other point in the coun-
tEy. This must be done or notice of the
intsnded sale Of through rate ticket filed
With the Interstate Commerce commission
for At least thirty days before the sale,
during which time the passenger must wait.
One Of the leading passenger officials in
Omaha, declining to permit the publication
Of his name, in speaking OF the effect on
the passenger situation, said:
Section of the amended interstate
commerce act provides that every common
carrier shall print, file with the commits
sion and keep open 10 public inspection
schedules Of all passenger fares between
different points on its own route and be-
tween points on its own route and points
on the route Of any other carrier, by rail-
road or water. when a through rate and
joint rate have been established Such
schedules must be plainly printed in large
type and copies for the use OF the public
kept posted in two public and conspicuous
places in every depot or station where pas
sengers are received for transportation. No
change may be made in passenger fares
which have been filed and published by
a common carrier, except after thirty days
notice TO the commission and the public
Example of Hardship.
"A literal compliance with this section
Of the act with regard TO the printing and
10 g- e.,
work considerable hardship on the travel
ing public without commensurate gain.
For example: John Brown Of Lincoln wants
to visit his boyhood home at Skaneatles,
n. y, a comparatively unimportant station
on the New York Central, no more or less
important than 1900 or 10000 other rail
road stations to which through rates have
not heretofore been printed in passenger
tariffs Desiring to buy a through ticket
and check his baggage through to his des-
tination, thus getting rid of the incon-
venience of rebuyng from point to point
and rechecking his baggage, he goes to
the local agent at Lincoln. The local agent
st Lincoln writes telegraphs or telephones
to his general office and asks it to name
a rate to skaueatles, n. Y. Heretofore it
las been the custom to construct the
through rate upon a proper, lawful basis
and authorize the ticket agent to sell a
through ticket and issue through bag
gage check. After the amended law takes
effect II will be necessary, unless the
railroads are relieved either to decline to
sell the through ticket or ask John Brown
20 remain in Lincoln thirty days while
the rate is being thoroughly digested by the
Interstate Commerce commission and the
travelling public as required by law.
Another side of IT,
Lob, Of
small local station, where the demand
for through tickets is infrequent and
where in consequence a supply of interline
tickets and baggage checks is not carried,
and that instead of going to Skaneatles, he
wishes to go to Chicago. Heretofore II he
notified his agent a day In advance Of his
desire to buy ticket to Chicago the agent
would communicate with the general office
and ticket and baggage check would be
promptly forwarded with authority to sell
tho ticket at the correct through rate. A
literal compliance with the new law will
render this impossible.
'rhe requirement of posting two copies
Of passenger tariffs in every waiting
room is also going to be burdensome to
the railroads, and unless l am greatly
mistaken, most expensive one, as these
tariffs will be taken down by curious
people. would-be students of the railroad
business and village cut-ups, who will
think II smart to steal them.
I'm an experience in the passenger bus
lEess extending over twenty years have
never heard a complaint from the public
as to the method of quoting passenger
rates. I have heard good many com
plants about the measure of passenger
fares, but none as TO the general plan Of
preparing and filing tariffs.
"A committee of western railway off,
Gals recently has been in Washington con-
ferring with the Interstate Commerce COM
mission and l am inclined 10 think the
commission will grant relief in these mat
tiers II 1t lies in its power TO do So It Is
certainly not the intent OF the law TO work
unnecessary hardship on the railroads or
TO curtail the privileges now given the
travelling public"
Freight Case said 90 he Worse.
The freight situation is said to be even
worse than the passenger. Attorneys, gem
efai managers and presidents of the roads
have held mev;ings and have declared their
intentions Of complying with the new law,
but how 10 do some of the impossible
things is q situation which must be met,
The press reports in The Bee from Wash
ington show the Interstate Commerce COM
mission has told Mr.. Lomax and Mr. Wood
OF the Union Pacific that it wanted to be
fair, but could take no action until after
the. law went into effect.
The freight situation is sized up by one
OF the leading freight oficials of this city
as follows:
Many impossible features present them.
selves in the new law in It's application to
freight conditions. One of the greatest
difficulties is the tariff requirements and
the greatest mischief seems to emanatt
tfcHf q man by some considered high IN
authority in railroad circles. We all know
you can't learn to play a plano by com
plying alone to the rules OF instruction a
Get forth in the book. nor can you run 8
railroad by, trying 20 follow absolutely 1
few written laws.
Absurdtty of the Plan.
"The Rbsurdity OF the plan proposed o.
posting the tariffs in the station Is Very
evident. II would be an incoherent mass o
OLD rubbish stuck up in the corner Of ,
depot, which the laymen could not under
stand.