East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1906-05-05
WHAT PASSES COST
IDAHO is PAYING DEARLY
FOR CORRUPTION.
Oregon Short Line Charges Four and
Five Cents Fare While Oregon and
Washington Pay But Three Cents
on o. II. & NJ, Northern Pacific
and Great Northern-COrruption of
the Legislature Charged as the
Cause.

The following communication from
Ex-Governor w. ]. Mcconnell of
Idaho, relative to the question of rail-
road passes and taxation in the state
of Idaho, shows something of the agl-
tation for high railroad assessments
and the abolition of the pass evil in
that state.
The communication addressed to
the Moscow Journal is as follows:
To the Editor of the Evening Capital
News:
The following, which Is an extract
from the Moscow Evening Journal of
the 25th inst, explains itself:
Boise, Idaho, April 81, 19O6.-Edi-
tor Journal: If you will permit
would like to address a few questions
to the officers and members of the
Equal Taxation league. Is It not true
that you are making a good deal Of
fuss about nothing? 1t is probably
true that the members of the legisla-
ture, the state officers and others are
favored with railroad passes, but how
does that harm the rest of us? Is 1t
not true that they are in luck, while
you fellows are simply kicking be-
cause you have to pay your fare or
walk? Please explain how the public
is damaged because a few people ride
on passes.
CITIZEN"
As you may have other citizens who
are seeking information on the sub
Ject of railroad passes, permit me to
give them through the columns OF
your paper the statistics which show
the additional amount paid annually
by the people of South Idaho to the
Oregon Short Line for passenger fares
in consequence of the state officers
and members of the legislature being
bribed by passes.
1t is doubtless known to all that
passenger fares over the o. R. & N,
the Great Northern and the Northern
Pacific railroad are but cents per
mile, while the Oregon Short Line
charges 4 cents over its main lines
and 5 on its branches; yet the last
Idaho Legislature, which was under
the absolute control OF Governor
Gooding. made f. w. Johnson, from
Ada, a subject of ridicule because,
forsooth, he introduced a bill looking
to the relief of the people, while the
agent of the road who doled out
passes to the members and their wives |
sat In the lobby with smile that was
'child-like and bland" deeming It |
rare sport to see the representative
of the people become the ready tools |
OF his company, and that, too, at such |
a paltry price.
For the information of Citizen"
together with the governor and the
members of the legislature, who in |
their indecent haste to pocket their |
little pasteboards failed to consider |
how much their passes cost the trav-
cling public, permit me to give the |
following mathematical analysis:
The interstate commerce commits
sion. in its report on the income Of
for the year ending June 80, |
1904 (see page 6O), gives the income
for passenger fares on the Oregon
Short Line at s2,S97,5S6; on the o.
r. & N, s2.627,156; thus, as will be
noted, the oregon Short Line received
for passenger fares $27O,43O more
than the o. r. & n. Their mileage
being the same within less than two
miles and the through passenger traf-
fic identical, the difference In passen-
ger earnings is accounted for by the
difference between the fare per mile
on the two roads; three cents in one
case and four and five cents in the
other; therefore. the passes given tn
chief executive of Idaho and the mem
bers of the Idaho legislature are an
expensive luxury to those who must
pay or walk"
The foregoing figures, which were
taken from the official report Of 1904,
do not represent the cost of 1905,
which was much greater. as the entire
gross earnings of the Oregon Short
Line for 1904 were s11,690,504, while
for 1905 the gross earnings We're s13,-
O,451, an increase OF s1,319,947.
Nor do the excessive passenger fares
Of the Oregon Short Line represent
the entire cost of passes on that road.
as the excess in freight rates is even
more.
Not less than 100000 is collected
by the Oregon Short Line
from the people of South Idaho in
passenger fares and freight in excess
IF what they would be required to pay
4 the same prices were charged as are
N Oregon and Washington; and yet
he gentleman who signs himself as
Citizen" asks us to "explain how the
public is damaged because few peo-
Pile ride on passes" How long will
your people stand like mutton sheep,
waiting the butchers knife?
w. ]. Mcconnell,
President Equal Taxation League.
Moscow, Idaho,