The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1907-01-22

books, and nearly every member who
travels between Washington and New
York has purchased at least one OF
these convenient money savers. The
rate of fare, one way. between the
Capitol and the Metropolis has been
$3.50 for many years. while round
trip ticket, good for ten days cost
$1,000 Now. however, {; book good for
enc year. which contains 1000 mile
slips can be had for $4,000 and this
book is available for any number of
persons. Mr.. Congressman who wants
to take his wife to New York for a
month buys che of the books, takes his
better half and starts. When he comes
back he still has SO miles available,
which is enough to take him to Balti-
more and back, or we'll en- his way to
New York again Those who have ac-
quired the mileage book habit are
fond of telling their friends Of the
discovery and each has constituted
himself a ticket agent for the railroad
which sells the books.
The Interstate Commerce Commits
sion has been so busy with the most
important clauses of the new "Ra1e
Law" that up to the present time no
opportunity mas been found to prepare
regulations to put into effect the para
graphs of the bill which apply to sleep
ing cars and express rates. But some
of the officials of the commission are
gathering data which will shortly be
available. The sleeping car rates nave
already been discovered to be without
any basis of reason whatever and the
express rates. especially to "non-com-
petitive points" are known to be en-
cessive and arbitrary. The commits
sion will get after the express AMI
sleeping car companies very shortly
now and the general public will prob
ably get a personal knowledge of the
scope of the rate bill as result, be-
cause it is very we'll known that the
ordinary American householder who
is not directly engaged in commerce
has far more intimate connection with
sleeping car tickets and express
charges than with freight rates.
Washingtonans like to brag of the
cleanliness of their city. and the beau
ties of the existing form of govern
ment. The local governing authorities
issue frequent orders for the control
of the morals and habits of the peo-
pie. The bill poster is not permitted
to display a picture of chorus girl
unless her skirts reach her boot tons
and the stranger who spits on the
sidewalk is liable to arrest and fine. 1t
would look after the senitary regula-
would look after the sanitary regula-
lions OF the institutions under their
control without the aid of the federal
authorities. But thus far they have
not done so and as a consequence
commission OF the department of Agr1-
culture has been at work investigating
the places in Washington where meats
are sold. They have discovered con-
ditions of filth in some of the markets
Which would give JOY to Upton Sim
clair. And as for sanitary arrange
ments there are apparently none
neither toilet rooms nor .avatories. So
bad were the conditions discovered
that only'a private report was made,
lest the public should be frightened in
to starvation. Now that they are no
tilted officially by the department OF
Agriculture that the markets are
filthy the district authorities are
awakening. but it took a very severe
jolt 10 dissipate their letharey.