New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-03-02
THE TWO-CENT FARE CRUSADE

] LII L " O-CA@NA 4 <aACB wv O1DE
Dispatches from Chicago say that Western
( railroads have agreed to fight the twO-cent fare
laws now being passed by many state legisla-
lures on the ground that they are cOnfiscatOry
Figures to show that passenger trains could
be operated only at loss with q maximum rate
of two cents have been presented by the rail-
roads to the legislatures OF Western States
but without effect, the answer always being
that the people demand a twO-cent rate and
the legislatures can do nothing else but impose
one How strong the legislators feel this pop
ular demand to be is shown by the unanimous
passage Of the law by both the Iowa Assembly
and Senate. But the case for the two-cent fare
is by no means so convincing that there would
be unanimity in any legislative body for It
except for the prevailing feeling that private
judgment must yield to the popular will-or
what is supposed to be the popular will Most
| legislators have been less frank than Senator
Methuddy, who explained in the Missouri Sen
ate that he voted for the two-cent bill against
his Judgment as lawyer, and that he believed
II to be cOnfscatOry and unconstitutional.
Many colleagues shared his views, he said. but
they all voted for It.
Undoubtedly many legislators In other states
voted for the twO-cent rate in the same frame
Of mind. 1.-The Kansas City Journal" says that
'all the testimony taken by the legislative COM
"mittee showed that the railroads in the West
''are carrying passengers at loss at three cents
"a mile" The State Railroad Commission OF
Wisconsin declined to reduce rates below 21a
cents a mile the ground that it would be
cOnfscatton. But the legislators apparently
feel that it is all bookkeeping. and that II
passenger traffic at two cents does not pay
passenger traffic Is only a small part Of q rail-
roads business, anyway, and the railroad can
make up any passenger loss on its freight
traffic.
In Pennsylvania there is the same demand
for g maximum rate of two cents under con-
dltions much fairer TO the railroads The Read
ing Railway acknowledges that only about II
per cent OF It's passenger traffic pays more than
two cents. The Pennsylvania carries only 27l4
per cent at more than two cents, while it
transports 40.S per cent at less than that rate.
Vice-President Thayer Of the Pennsylvania told
the Senate Committee that there was e profit
to the Pennsylvania in carrying passengers ut
two cents a mile. In the parts OF the state
where more than two cents n mile Is charged
1t is said TO be improbable, on account Of
sparse population, 10 carry passengers at two
cents. II the bill becomes a law, Mr. Thayer
says that the company must necessarily read
just the fares which are now less than two
cents. Communication rates will have to be ad-
vanced he maintains, to make that traffic pay
what is lost on passenger carrying in tho
spaTsely settled districts. He says that this
has been the result Of the two-cent fare law
passed in Ohio last year. We have no means
or knowing whether or not Communication rates
have been raised in Ohio but there Is an mite
cedent probability that in the more pOpulOus
states where there are already rates less than
two cents q mile railroads will make I'D for
their losses through arbitrary reductions by
raising their lower rates. Thus again the eff
feet Of the twO-cent legislation il to make one
part Of the traffic pay for the losses If there are
any, on another. In the less populous states
the heights may have to pay for the passen-
gers; In the more pOpulOus states the cOmmut-
ers may have to pay more that the farmers
may pay less
If this is the way the popular two-cent rate
laws are going TO work out we do not see how
there will be any gain to the people. 1t is not
In accordance with business principles to make
the freight traffic pay for the passenger. In
the more pOpulOus states 1t Is shown that the
railroads, left to themselves, carry people for
less than two cents q mile where 1t paws to
do so, and charge more than two cents only
on the less profitable traffic. Business sense
without legislative interference has here worked
out fair and reasonable results.
The railroads have hurt their own case some
what by the issue OF OnethOusand mile books
for $50 They have done this even in the West,
where the prevailing rate Is three cents a mile
IT was popularity concluded at once that II they
could afford to do this they could afford to carry
everybody for two cents a mile In the West.
moreover, the books aroused prejudice. They
were said TO effect discrimination. The man
who could afford to buy a mileage book tray
elled for two cents, while the poor man had
70 pay three The books undoubtedly had
much to do with the present agitation, and they
weaken the case Of the railroads against the
law as confscatoTy.