The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1907-01-31
Transportation Evils Going.
Internal Affairs Secretary on Reductions and
the Vanished Pass.

Major Isaac Is. Brown, Secretar'
of Internal Affairs, will discuss a
length in his annual report the pass
ing of the Objectionable rebat,
mileage book, the advent of tn
new one, the reduction in genera
of passenger rates of transportation
and the abolition of the free pass
Never iu the history of railroad
in Pennsylvania, says the report
has there been so much accom-
plished favorably to passengers OF
the railroads as during the yea
1906" Then it continues:
At no time has there been fea
ture of passenger traffic put into
use by a railroad which evoked SC
much criticism and discomfort a:
did the rebate mileage book. l,
was universally condemned. The
first annual report of the Depart
ment of Internal Affairs after its in.
PRODUCTION contained the severesi
criticism upon this mileage book
questioning its legality and assert
ing that it was not only against the
interests OF the public in general,
but was likewise against the reve-
nues of the carrier corporations. 1t
was through the efforts made by
the Department of Internal Affairs
and the opinion filed in the case,
on complaint made, that the Penn
sylvania Railroad Company pracii-
cally abandoned the use of the $40
hold-up mileage book, and substi-
tuted the very liberal one by which
1000 miles OF transportation are
sold for $40. This book is good in
the hands of the purchaser not only
for himself, but for an; number OF
persons he may desire to have car
rled on his mileage, and it is not
only good in the hands of the pur-
chaser, but in the hands of any
other person to whom it may be
transferred by the purchaser. 1t
has been unanimously commended.
and the railroad company has done
the public good service in provid-
ing and selling the same, and it is
believed that the results will show
that from a financial standpoint it
will be equally beneficial and salts.
factory to the railroads introducing
1t.
Another favorable feature in re.
gard TO passenger transportation in
Pennsylvania is the general reduc.
tion of the maximum rates. In
the original charter of the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad it was provided that
rates should be reasonable, but that
the company saould not charge
more than 81 cents mile for local
passenger traffic, and 5 cents mile
for the through passenger traffic.
The 8 cent rate was observed un.
til something like IS years ago,
when that was reduced to :, cents.
and during the year 1906 further
reduction was made to ~ cents
per passenger per mile. This rate
prevails quite generally on all the
leading railroads of Pennsylvania.
1t is probable that the railroad cor
porations can make more money in
carrying passengers at 2H cents
per mile now than they could form
erly at 81 cents per mile.
Another feature of management
IN passenger transportation which
should receive universal considera-
ton is the abolishment of the pass
system. On account of its aband-
onment it is altogether probable
that,the railroad companies are re-
ceiving additional revenues, thus
enabling them to make some of the
reductions referred to. Certain it
is that the railroad pass was bad in
principle. 1t never has and never
can stand the light of day.
1t is the opinion of the present
Secretary of Internal Affairs that
the pass question has been perma.
nently eliminated. The enforce.
ment of Article II OF the Constitu-
ton makes its return absolutely i'm
possible, and we may expect that
there will be uniformity of rates,
uniformity of conveniences, uni
formity of comforts and no discrimi-
nation in the transportation of pass
engers on lines of railroad in Penn,
sylvania.