Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1906-03-02
Friday, March 2, 1906.
RAILROAD TWO.CENT RATE.


The two cent rate bill which MI.
Churchman has introduced and which
he has put through the House, will be
fought to a finish this week in the
Senate.
The bill is a popular one among the
masses, and they will be much dlsap-
pointed if it does not pass.
1t is strange that the railroads should
oppose this bill, or rather it is strange
that they have made 1t necessary for
the Legislature to take it up. as
matters now stand practically a two
cent rate prevails on the railroads, OF
at least some of them, in the State. and
being 80 near the two-cent rate gener-
ally it seems blind policy to force the
Legislature 70 compel the universal
condition as to mileage books of 5OO
miles or more. 1t is beyond dispute
that more money is earned by street
cars at a cent fare than could be al
10 cent fare. 1t is also an indispu-
table proposition that when rates are
cheap and travel easy thousand people
travel where possibly one hundred and
fifty would not do SO otherwise. 1t
has never been explained to any ra
tional mind in Virginia why a mileage
the owner to take his wife and chill
dren on the train and the conductor
tear out mileage for all. 1t Is done in
some States. 1t has never been ex-
planned to the rational mind why,
when excursiOnists buy tickets there
should be SO many restrictions and
burdens placed on them as the rail
roads DO. 1t is true they tell us about
''scalpers. and preach sermon on
the subject Of keeping tickets out OF
tLeir hands, but those sermons to tue
average mind are far less convincing,
or intelligent, or rational, than the
doctrine Of THE sun do move" Nobody
outside railroad officer or employe
ever get beyond the first paragraph
and uld LOT believe that. II Is true we
are told that The local rate would be
broken up if The Churchman bill pass
es. TINS Is nothing very serious. There
is no reason Tor local rate being high
er than any other rate. ln good sen
sible railroading That rate should be
the lowest made. The electric line
between Alexandria and Washington
ends argument on that subject. II the
local rates out of New York were not
exceedingly low, do we not know that
there would be vastly fewer local
trains. Do we not know that the local
trains in and out of New York pay In
proportion better than the great Pull
mau trains?
A commission from Prussia sent to
America has just reported that the
average passenger rate per mile in this
country is 2 W cents per mile, against
OBS of cent per mile III Prussia.
Mr.. VIM. J. Bryan now travelling in
Japan, informs the public that pas.
senger rates in that country are, first
class 4 cents, second class 2 cents, and
third class cent per mile, and that
nearly all persons there travel third
class. Why should our rates be one
hundred per cent. higher -?
1s there any reason why a passenger
In this country should pay more to ride
in a dirty old local coach than one
pays to ride in a palatial Pullman
There may be, but the reason has never
been driven into the ordinary human
head, and we fear never will be. 1t has
never been proven that it is exactly
right to charge poor old one legged
Jim Stubbins 33t per cent. more per
mile to ride on railroad in dirty
local coach, than is charged Mr.. Regi-
maid Gotrocks to ride In limited yes
tibuled train, though there may be
thousand reasons for so doing. Pro.
badly the railroads do not like to carry
common freight, such as old Jim, but
do like to carry Reginald, and thus
can discriminate in Reggie's favor.
Seriously speaking, we believe that
the passage of the Churchman bill
will be God send to the railroads, and
that they will soon be compelled to
admit it, 1t has always seemed to us
as the plainest business proposition
that the cheaper and easier travel is
made the more profitable it will be |
come. We have argued that if the
railroads were wise they would make
local travel so cheap that farmer five
miles from town would not be justified |
In driving in, even if he hitched his
horse to free post. More people have
one dollar than ten, and 1t is the
crowd, the masses, whose money fills
the Golfers. Let the railroads get wis.,
dom enough to seek the pennies and
they will soon have the dollars. They
should never have caused the Church
man bill to be thought Of, but now
that it is possibility should not re
sist its passage. This is one time that
legislation seemingly against railroads
will be their salvation.
Qa-.fnr Daxtaraop ~ Goio.aao