Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-09-26
TWOCENTFAREG|VES
ASTONISHING
RESULTS
Railroads Find Enor-
nous Increase of Business
Following Cut in the Price,


Omaha. Neb. sent 25.-Six months
trial of the tN0-cent fare laws In Ne
braska finds The railroads Of this state
hauling more passengers han ever be-
fore in their history. with new trains
being added fH assist in caring for the
increased traffic. due 10 the lowering
81 passenger rates, both state and in
terState.
The Union Pacific finds that It's To-
cal trains afa so crowded with pas
sengers as To- render 70 necessary 10 ac-
cept local tickets on its big through
Pacific coas rains. and even the Los
Angeles limited has Just been ordered
to take PASSENGERS between different
stations in N-braska. simply 10 help
out business until additional equip
ment can be provided.
When the 1850 cent fare law was
passed the Union Pacific ceased work
on half a dozen big cut-offs. Since
then work has been resumed on every.
n Of thesc projects md double
tracking between Omaha and ogden
H. going forward as fast as thousands
Of wOrkmen can push IL,
The Burlington is also reaping a big
harvest. VIII almost every train on
that line out uf Omaha running ia two
or three sections and with passengers
standing in the a~isles. 10 was easy for
that road to declare an extra six per
cent dividend last week.
The Northwestern has added several
new trains To- northern Nebraska and
into South Dakota and Wyoming. and
the Rock Island is running all the
trains its single track can accommo-
date.
Determined to show two cent fares
up 10 the worst advantage and To
prove that the railroads are losing
money at that rate the Union Pa
cific on September / put a large force
OF clerks az Wark preparing a com
paratiVe statement showing the pas
senRer %revcnues under past and pres
ent schedule. After the work had
been in progress about "A week a halt
was called and the task Abandoned. II
has leaked out that the showing vas
81 favorable Co.. the two cent fare and
receipts We're 50 much heavier now
than during The same period last
year.
A pass Is now unusual. Everybody
rides on paid tickets except the actual
employees of the railroads. Last year
several western railroads issued state
mcnts. showing hat the average fare
was paid for at the rate of even less
than two cents a mile. This included
reduced rates OF all kinds, passes fig
ured at fun value. and in fact every
rate at which e passenger rode. TN
der the new law every passenger pays
fun two cents for each mile.
a curious thing Is happening ass the
result OF the anti-pass. anti-rebate
laws. The sman railroads are being
forced out of the through traffic bus-
mess leaving this class entirely tp the
larger roam The small and weak
roads much content themselves with
local business and an occasional
through passenger
The weaker roads do not dare cut
rates IN order to get their share of
the business. The stronger roads can
meet the cut and GO below any cut the
weaker road can make. The stronger
roads are taking an the through
freight business from the weak roads
Western railroad men say his phase
Of the business viii eventually aus
The absorption Of the weak lines by
strong ones.
But the Two cent fare. instead Of re-
lucing the Incomes OF the Nebraska
railroads. has so increased the traffic
ana the receipts hat II is not believed
railroads would return To the for
mer condition ever N no laws stood
In the way The six months trial Of
the new rate nv the Union Pacific.
burlington ana other big western
has proved SO profitable d q
there Will he no returning to the old