The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1907-07-18
THE HEPBURN BILL
w. S. McCauH of Kansas City, Discusses
Some of Its Features

rate from Whiting to Chicago should
have been added. The reader of the
Reporter who follows the advice set
down in the article referred to can so
juggle the Leon and st. Joe rate
that he can get to for about
81 less than the reader of the Garden
Grove Express who possibly has not
"been put wise" to use the phrase of
the newsboys. At first glance one
would say it was quite an easy matter
to adjust their rates to conform to the
two cent laws OF few states; far from
it. 1t is not matter of taking time
table and counting the miles. 1t takes
an army Of clerks weeks and weeks to
re-adjust all rates effected by the two
cent law and then when re-adjusted
they must be filed with the Interstate
commission and approved. The 80"
has four routes from Burlington to St.
Joe and the distance is different on all
OF them, yet the rate shall be the same
over each route, SO that on the
longest route the passenger travels for
less than two cents mile. For exam
pie they must not charge more for a
ticket from Togo to st. Joe over the
Mt. Ayr branch than by Bethany
although the distance is nearly twenty
miles greater. The passenger from La
monia and Tuskeego cannot be charged
two cents mile. for if he so charged
he will be paying more than the man
from Togo, SO the rate must be figured
from those two towns to st. Joe at a
fraction of a cent less than two cents
mile. Again the Maple Leaf is the
shortest line from Des Moines to St. Joe
and they will charge two cents mile.
By way of the Rock Island or Q it is a
greater distance yet they must charge
the same total fare for a Des Moines to
st. Joe ticket as tho Maple Leaf charges.
By SO doing the Rock Island would be
compelled to reduce the rate below two
cents for nearly every station between
Des Moines and Ottumwa on all st. Joe
tickets. The Chicago-Kansas City rates
over all the roads must be the same
price although the Rock Island is per-
haps fifty miles longer than some OF the
other lines. Thus the Rock Island
must carry all the Chicago-K Kansas City
! passengers for less than two cents a
mile. Before these rates can be re-
adjusted on the Leon and st. Joe branch
the rate clerks must re-fgure all rates
between Chicago and the Missouri river
including Kansas City, st. Joe, Omaha,
Sioux City, and all points between.
Should they fix up the rate on one
branch at a time and take the Leon and
st. Joe branch first and put out two
cent fare rate and sell tickets on that
tariff one day before they did the same
on the other line then they would be
subject to fine of one thousand dollars
on every passenger they carried at that
rate while the passenger on the Creston
branch was not enjoying the same cheap
| rate.
A couple of weeks ago had occasion
to go from ST. Louis to Little Rock,
Arkansas, and concluded would try to
get a pass or cheap rate over the Iron
Mountain. was handed copy of the
Hepburn law as reminder that condi-
tions had changed. Enroute to Little
Rock in the seat in front of me was a
prominent citizen of Little Rock, who
seemed to have had more influence than
others and he began to tell some of the
passengers how friend of his in the
companys Office had shown him how to
beat the three cent interstate rate.
He paid two cents for ticket to Nelly
vile then paid the conductor fifteen
cents for five miles across the state
line. Then after crossing into Arkansas
handed the conductor two cents mile
for the balance of the trip and by so do
ing travelled from st. Louis to Little
Rock for about $500 less than a car
load of us unfortunate ones had been
compelled to pay. After this gentle.
man had got through explaining to
everybody in the car that the $500 he
had saved was worth more to him than
it was to George Gould and that it was
easy enough to beat the Interstate
rates if you only knew howl handed
him the copy of the Hepburn law that
had been handed me in the morning
and pointed out one clause and remark.
ed that the gentleman in the seat in
front of him who had been paying so
much interest to his story looked very
much like a government inspector. The
Little Rock citizen reached down and
took his name tag off from his grip
gathered up his belongings and moved
ahead to the smoker and when he ar
rived at his destination did not take q
cab or street car for home but went
around behind the depot and started up
a back street as he preferred to walk
just then.
know that it looks like "monkeying'
to be compelled to pay three
cents a mile on trip across from
one state to another when both states
have the two cent law. But don't ad-
wise your friends to violate the Hep
burn law as they may be fined for sc
doing. tits only matter of few
weeks when all the roads will be ap
plying two cent rate on all interstate
business. Hundreds of clerks are nov
working over time SO as to get out the
new tariff sheets that will enable us al
to ride anywhere in the two cent fare
districts without having to juggle
rates. There is one remedy that will
prevent this trouble in the future
Have Congress enact one general cor
poration law and compel all railroads
whether state or Interstate to be char
tered under that law and then when
congress fixes rate it will apply al
once in all states alike. Texas Of
course would object as the principal
amusement Of the law makers of that
state is passing and re-passing railroad
laws. have no doubt however, that
all other states will welcome the day
when government control is extended
over every transportation company in
L L. L. a