Evening star., 1907-10-15
ORIGIN IN POLITICS
Railway Presidents View of
Demand for Low Fares.
CONTRADICTORY DEMANDS
Increase in Facilities and Legisla,
ton for Decreased Revenues.
ADDRESS BY w. W. FINLEY
Opening Session Of Fifty-Second
Annual Convention of Passen-
ger and Ticket Agents.

Brisk business men to the number of 12o
assembled in one of the parlors of the
New Willard Hotel this forenoon and con-
Quoted the opening session Of the fifty
second annual convention of the American
Association OF General Passenger and
Ticket Agents. The delegates represented
all the large cities and number of larger
towns in the United States, Canada and
Mexico.
District Commissioner Henry l.. West
welcomed the railroad men to Washington
and handed them the keys Of the city. He
spoke of the uniqueness of the District of
Columbia government, the picturesqueness
of the national city, and congratulated
the association upon it's personnel and inn
portance.
He was followed by Mr. w w. Finley
president of the Southern Railway Com
pany. In part he said:
THE railway managers of the United
states are today subjected to two abso-
lutely contradictory demands. The rail-
ways are called upon to improve their IA
cilities on a scale calling for the outlay of
millions of dollars. and. at the same time.
to perform their service for the pubic at
greatly reduced rates.
This is especially true OF the passenger
service There Is a constant demand for
proved station facilities, the universal in
stallation of block signals. and the adop-
ton of every practicable appliance for in
creasing the safety Of travel. The Ameri-
can railways have ever been progressive
and ready to adopt improvements. But
If they are to do so. their passenger fares
must be such as to be nearer a reasonable
compensation for service performed.
Narrow Margin.
ha Of n
all other practical railway men know, the
| margin between passenger train revenue
and expenses incident to the passenger
| service on the American railways. con-
sidered a whole, has ever been. at best,
exceedingly small.
Hysterical Wave Of Agitation.
Despite this condition and the gradual
tendency of passenger rates toward a
| lower average level. there has swept over
| the country an hysterical wave of politi-
cal agitation for passenger rate reduction.
The demand for lower fares" Presi-
dent Finley declared. has been political
in its origin and has been voiced in polit-
ical platforms rather than in requests to
railroad managers or of formal COM
plants to national Or state commissions -
Reductions Arbitrary.
Mr.. Finley said this had resulted in ar
bitrary reductions in passenger affairs.
The political demand for reduced pas
senger fares has obtained a certain meas
ure Of popular support. It is inevitable
| that this should be true. for 1t is natural
that every man should desire to get the
| most for his money when he IL buying a
passenger ticket the same as when he Is
buying suit of clothes Or anything else "
President Finley said the railways are
properly the subject Of governmental reg
ulation, but such regulation must be
| based on sound economic and business
principles.
After the reception of credentials a re-
| cess was taken until 2:3O oclock this aft
| ernoon.
At the afternoon session consideration
| was given to the report Of the committee
| on the use Of perfect safety paper for
| railroad tickets. and of the several stand
| ing committees. Officers will be elected
tomorrow.