The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-07-05
D|D HADLEY HAND THEM GOLD BR|CK2 Missouri Railroads Are DiS- pleased With Bargain TESTING THE 2-CENT FARE Roads Claim Summer Months Are Un- fair for a Test Because Travel
 Is So Much Heavier
 Than Usual.
TESTING THE 2-CENT FARE

Railroad officials in Missouri are of the opinion that Attorney General Hadley handed them a gold brick when he per- suaded them to consent to ninety-days trial of the 2-cent rate, but railroad men of Birmingham hold a different view of the matter The 2-cent rate went into eff feet in Missouri on July 1 and the three months test of the rate, covering July, August and September. embrace period, according to the officials. in which the greatest travel of the year occurs and will be. therefore, an unfair test of the ques> tion.
 Railroad men in Alabama and all other southern states are watching the Ms souri test closely as the result may have n hearing upon low rate legislation in the south. While the 2-cent rate has been ae- cepted in several states without protest by the railroads, and has been put into effect, the fact that a trial has been agreed upon in Missouri makes this ease more important to the railroad than the others.
 In an interview in St. Louis, R. T. Railey, assistant attorney of the Mis- souri Pacific railroad, is quoted as saying that all the railroads affected by the agreement to suspend litigation over the 2-cent law pending ninety days trial have reached the conclusion that they will be given an unfair test.
 Mir. Bailey, who was present at Kansas City when the agreement was entered into, is quoted as saying:
 When we proposed to try the 2-cent rate for certain period upon the assur- ance of Hadley that if we showed loss at the end of the time specified the law would be dropped, we thought we were getting out of the affair quite nicely. but the roads realize now that they got gold brick
 "Ordinarly, a record of the passenger receipts and operating expenses of any road for given time would convince any body of lawmakers that a 2-cent passen- ger rate is ruinous to railroad.
 At this season of the year, however, there is fully three times the customary amount of travelling, due to the vacation trips and the mov ug of tourist partles There is more travelling going on now over the Missouri railroads than there has been in any one season for number of years
 Money seems to De easy ana tne peo- pie are persuading themselves to take trips which they have been denying them selves Consequently. the receipts Of the roads for the next ninety days will not be normal, and should not, in spirit of fairness to the roads, be made the basis of a decision as to the effect the s-eent rate will have upon the income from pas senger traffic.
 Birmingham railroad men do not agree with MT. Bailey's views at all. for they hold that while there is certainly more travel at this time of the year. 1t Is at such a low rate that 1, is entirely onset by the travel atothe r periods when the rate is normal. It is the general peiet here that the 2-cent rate will be per manent in Missouri, and that after the rate is permanently established other low rate legislation will follow in the south.
 The only railroad entering Birmingham that is affected by the Missouri legislation | is the Frisco, but the Southern and Louis l vile and Nashville roads, which nave | lines through Illinois. are also subject to | the 2-cent law, which wept into effect | in that state on July l.