Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1907-02-27
COMMISSION FIXES MAXIMUM
TARIFF AT 2Ia CENTS A MILE.
BUT URGESCHEAPER BOOKS
Thinks That 5oo-Miie Family Tickets
Should Be Sold for sto-compa.
nles Will Heed Order Which Goes
into Effect in 20 Days.


waukee and st. Paul, the Chicago and
Northwestern and the Chicago, St
Paul. Minneapolis and Omaha rail-
roads to reduce their passenger fares
on all within the state business in
Wisconsin from a maximum of 3
cents a mile to a maximum of 2h
cents a mile.
1t is understood that the roads will
put the lower rate into effect and not
try to resist it IL court.
The proceeding to compel the Wis.
consin Central road TO reduce its fare
is not decided. This and other small
er lines are governed by conditions
different from those which govern the
the large lines and the commission
feels that it should give more study
to these phases of the subject
The large lines however reach so
many points along the Wisconsin
Central system that the latter, in or
| der to meet competition, will be com
PEELED to reduce its fares from such
points as Fond du Lac, Oshkosh Nee
nah, Menasha. Marshfield, Ashland,
Eau Claire and Chippewa Falls.
Therefore the decision indirectly az
fects the bulk of the Wisconsin Cen
trails intla-state passenger traffic.
/ 5oo-Mile Book at $40,
The commission makes most i'm
portant recommendation to the Mil
waukee. Northwestern and Omaha
roads-that they sell for $40 500-mile
books-being at the rate of cents a
mile-that can be used by the pur-
chaser or by any member of his fam
lily, This plan, in the opinion of the
commission. would make a fair test OF
the 2-cent fare idea and would demon
strate whether the increase in traffic
resulting from a 2-cent fare would be
sufficient to Offset the direct reduction
from revenue and permit the com.
panies to make a reasonable profit
upon investment and operation.
The commission orders the three
last companies named to continue the
sale eff mileage books, commutatiol
tickets, party tickets and haK-taYe
tickets for clergymen and other special
tickets that are now sold.
The decision is a lengthy one
something like 200 pages, and it goes
into all the details of train operation
and questions allied with IT, The
members of the commission so to Nil
waukee today TO Investigate com
piaints against the street railway serv
Ice in that city, task that will prob
ably consume tie rest Of the week.
The decis ,ons in the cases Of tht
Omaha and Northwestern roads arr
very brief, but to the same effect.
The commission holds that, while
Scent fare is excessive, a 2-cent fart
would so greatly reduce net earning
on within-thestate traffic as to be I'm
justifable. From the decision tn
inference is drawn that a 2-cent far
would not stand the test of court ad
Indication.
Important points in the decision
are the following:
ITO be generous to the people of tn
state at the expense of justice to tn
carriers would be a species of officia
brigandage that ought to hold the per
petrators up to the execration of al
honest men"
The commission says that il. in ad
dition to the losses which the rail
roads would suffer If 2-cent far
were decided upon, the roads shout,
combine to sell Communication aut
other tickets at less than cents
! mile. the total loss in revenue wol''
considerably exceed 81 900, 900 year
On the Milwaukee and Northwestern
roads alone the loss would be sS44
600. What the revenue from increased
travel resulting from a 2-cent far'
would amount to is largely a matte
OF speculation.
THE carrier is entitled to earn III
operating expenses and a fair income
on the value of its property. It SHOULD
not be asked to take less nor permit
ted to take more by way of compen
sation for its investment"
I'VE are not concerned about wha
our rights might be to reduce thu
passenger rates to point where pas
sengers were being carried at loss
and to recoup such loss by a species
of piracy practiced upon the shippers
of freight. From the stand
point Of equity there is no justification
for making TIE passenger contribute
toward the carrying cost Of freight
No more is there any justification r.
compelling the shipper Of freight t
contribute to the cost of carrying pas
sengers."
Low freight rates are vastly NOR
important to the people than low pas
Isenger fares. The passen
ger fare is brought sharply to our at
tention because it is direct tax. Thu
freight rate is. in reality. an indirec
tax When a carload Of coal is ship
ped from Milwauknr to Madison. nomi
naly the consignci or the consigne'
pays the freight In reality neithe
pays it. The freight Is actually pait
by the consumer Of the coal
He must use the coal He may no
want to ride, even st 2 cents"
THE commodities which the farme
,1as to sell. the material ne uses Il
constructing buildings and fences
fha r,9ei. frsry nm hts Farm tho clO4hp