The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-11-25
How Passenger Traffic Pays Better
Than Frei pnt

There is nm absurd popular notion that
no steam railroad makes any considerable
profit on its passenger traffic, but the new
Chicago-New York electric roGd viii quick
ly prove that such is not the case, and that
by special equipment Tor passenger traffic
II can be made TO pay far more than freight
does. The reason passenger traffic on the
grcnt trunk line steam roads yields no
profit to speak OF is not because there is
no money in the carrying OF passengers.
but because the roads having been con
ceived and built with no consideration for
passenger requirements and with freight
the beginning and end OF the roads com
mercial desires. the two classes OF tonnage
don't work we'll together. When flyer
makes q sensational run under present rail.
rond conditions. II often means that all
iregh, trains for n distance OF 100 miles
shifted out OF the danger zone until the
passenger train gets by. This means
almost incalculable loss. loss that certainly
does kill all the profit that would otherwise
accrue.
Then, again, the steam routes, being
freight routes first. last and all the time
how many serpentine twists and turns di
vert them from the pathway OF directness.
Passengers not only have to be hauled far
and unnecessarily out OF the way, but are
shifted around curves, gulies and noun.
tains that forever render an extremely high
speed out OF the question The simple fact.
therefore, is tnat passenger tralhc will pay
and pay WELL even il a pound Of
freight carried. il the route were
only direct one and no delay OF ffty.car
freight trains. some OF them with perish
able goods, was caused by the ghspced
trains.
When manufacturer ships freight under
present conditions, strange process en-
sues. Freight may 20 over half dozen
roads and many miles out OF its way before
IL reaches its destination. Most OF the
roads are members of great freight pools
or trusts. which operate within certain
spheres Of influence" business is divided
nm Ylrd6ts hcin0 nod ou- in
cOrdancc with a factor schedule and the
freight going over whichever pool route
the situation demands. When a load of
freight starts from New York for Chicago
by way Of. let say, the Eric, man
predict how many other routes thau the
Eric it will run over before IL reaches the
long as it gets omehow-somc time.
But IL does matter to passengers whether
or not they have 10 tolerate such benting
around the bush. When a passenger
starts for a given point he wants 10 get
there directly. and. therefore the passen'
ger trains OF existing roads pick their way
through ses Of freight trains. cst;le cars
on siding here. fruit cars on spur there.
all being delayed TO the extent OF hundreds
OF thousands OF dollars
What q blessing. then. il will be when
tne new Chicago.Ncw York Electric Air
line dashes its clean, luxurious train be.
tween Chicago and New York City at the
marvellous speed Of seventy FIVE miles an
hour; some of them making no stops. II
exclusive freight tracks. omple space for
which ms been provided The territory
trNversed by the new electric line is the
most densely populated in the country, and
the bulk OF all tho trufic. both freight
and passenger from Cleveland, Toledo.
Detroit, Philadelphia and other largo
cities Will ultimately be carried by this
route, II has been shown by tho work oil
the Twentieth Century Flyer OF the New
York Central Jhat there are plenty OF peo-
pie willing 70 pay the. so per cont extra
,l,, ,v,1 hSe ,h,s
will be the patronage os a road that carries
one from Chicago to New York City for
$40 a figure that is bout one-half the
regular fare now charged There can be
no question that the ChicagoN New York
Electric railroad will become the richest
and most powerful business factor in this
country. It's workings being on the basis
OF a new order Of things industrial and
the foundation stono upon which our econom-
ic well-bcing viii rest, When this great
electric rond gets into full working order
the small shipper send his freight on
basis of absolute equality with the big
shipper.