Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-04
FARE HIGHER ABROAD
PASSENGER RATES HERE AND IN
EUROPE COMPARED.
American Charges Much Less Than
Foreign and the Accommoda-
lions Are Better.

A Senate document has just been issued
III which Mr.. H T. Newcomb. a statistician
formerly connected with the interstate COM
merce commission. and during the last year
an assistant to the Senate committee on
interstate commerce. presents comparison
between passenger rates on European and
American railroads
Mr.. Newcomb followed the suggestion by
Senator Lodge that a comparison not I'M
fair to the foreign roads be made by plac-
ing against their charge the frst-class
American fare plus the Pullman charge.
Mr.. Newcomb points out that the COM
parison is hardly fair. as the American
roads give superior accommodations The
density of traffic Is also much greater on
European roads, which gives them an ad-
vantage in cost of service. Among the in
stances of comparisons recited by Mr.. New
comb are the following:
Sample American Charges.
From Boston to Exeter, Mass, is fifty
one miles and from Paris to Dreux is fifty
one miles, The first-class fare from Boston
to Exeter is 1.20 and the Pullman fare Ia
forty cents, making the total American
fare $780, while the fare on the French
road from Paris to Dreux is SITS differ
ence of eighteen cents in favor of the Amer
lean road for journey of fifty-one miles.
From New York to Storm King, n. Y, is
ntty-hve miles and from Paris to Compiegne
Is ffty-two miles, yet the first class and
Pullman fares on the American road
amount to $l.5S, while the first-class fare
without the Pullman accommodations on the
French road is $1.90, difference of thirty
two cents in favor of the three-mile longer
ride in the United States. Springfield.
Mass, Is ninety mine miles from Boston and
Venice Is exactly the same distance from
Bologne. The first class and Pullman fares
TOT the American ride amount 81 n while
the European fare is $3.50, an advantage of
twenty-eight cents in favor Of the American
road for the same distance. From Cincin-
nati Ohio, to Lexington, KY, is 100 miles
and from Bologne to Ancona is 127 miles,
yet the first class and Pullman fares for the
American journey amount to but 81, while
for the European ride the fare is H.5I.
When comparison Is made between a
European journey and one on American
road on which the density Of traffic is above
the average the showing Is more favorable
to the American road. Thus from New
York to Boston the distance is 21S miles
from Paris to Poitiers Is 200 miles, from
Madrid to Sargossa is PIP miles and from
Paris to Nancy is 219 miles. The first-class
fare plus the Pullman fare from New York
to Boston Is only IS, compared with $1.27
from Paris to Poitiers, $3.50 from Madrid
to Sargossa and $7.63 from Paris to Nancy
For Long Distances.
In all OF the above comparisons the price
oi a. seat IN DdriOr car mas Deen aQOeQ
to the American fare For longer distances,
necessarily involving a night journey, MIR.
Newcomb added the rate for double berth
in sleeping car to the American fare and
made the comparison with the simple first
class fare IN Europe. His comparisons show
that the American traveller uniformly OBJ
tans his transportation with the added
comfort of double berth in sleeper at
less rates than are paid in Europe for
seat in q railway carriage that may be so
crowded that the passengers cannot even
recline on a seat during the night. For in
stance, the fare from Chicago to Denver,
1,210 miles, including a double berth in
sleeper. is $3.50, while from Paris to Stock
holm, LOS miles, without sleeper accom-
modations, it is $42I1.
On those lines in Europe on which sleep
ing cars are run the fares are vastly higher
than in America. For instance, the fare,
including a double berth in a sleeper from
New York to Chicago, 912 miles. is $2o,
while from Paris to Carlsbad, only S6l
miles, the fare with sleeper is $685..