The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-07-03
RAILROAD NEWS,
Illinois Two Cent Fare Law Is
Now i'm Force.
Lines Have Decided to Give 1t
Fair Trial.
MAY GOTO THE COURTS
Study of Effect on Earnings to
Precede Litigation.
Other Items Of Interest to
Railway People.

Chicago, July 3.-The 2-cent-a-miIe
railroad rate is on trial for good behav-
Tor in Illinois now, and railroad mag
mates, traffic officials, and incidentally
the travelling public. are prepared to sit
up and take notice. The recalcitrant
| states of the middle west are causing
rail kings many a nights loss of sleep
of late.
Can as large profits be made at a
rate OF cents as at the old figure of
cents mile? That is the question
which the roads propose to answer by a
practical test. On the face of it the
proposition bears the appearance of a
mathematical impossibility' that none
out nature fakirs would attempt to dis
prove by affidavits concerning tests. The
roaos, however, are prepared to be fair
ana give the new legislation due oppor-
tunlty TO show what it can do. Those
VINO are friendly to 1t declare that it
Will compensate in increased travel for
all that 1t cuts from the income. Most
road omcials are dubious, however, and
declare that If in three months it is
shown that they cannot pay operating
expenses steps will be taken to test the
law.
When it is considered that all the
expenses which the roads have to de-
fray are increasing rapidly. and that at
a Scent rate the income of the princi-
pal roads barely covered the cost of
operation, it is difficult to see how
the revenue cout one-third," said Geo.
J: Charlton. general passenger agent of
the Chicago & Alton railway.
The new law will be especially hard
on the smaller companies that operate
only over a few hundred miles of
sparsely settled territory Increase in
travel cannot help them, for the popu-
lation is not there. How the big frinI,
lines will be affected can be learned
only by trial.
In the line of increased expenses
there is scarcely an item that is not
costing much more than formerly Ia
Dor, which could once be Obtained for
81 a day, jumped to $1.6O, and now S. 40
Is the figure demanded. Ties are cost
ing ten times as much as was the case
a few years ago. Rails have to be made
heavier on account of more exacting
schedules, and even now new types are
under advisement a t a high increase in
price.
Locomotives used to be built for
900 to $4,000 for engines of modern
type. The cost OF cars that were for
merly purchased for $500 is now $4,000
This increase holds in all lines and
modern invention, instead of cutting
the cost, seems but to add new chan
nels for the outlay of funds.
THE public, of course, will benefit by
the lowered rate, in practically every
instance, for there are few excursions
made at a rate lower than cents a
mile. Special excursions will neces-
sarily be discontinued, but this only
means that excursion rates will prevail
at all times.
THE railroads intend to give the new
rate a fair trial-three months if that is
long enough to judge, and If not, they
will try it longer. If it is found that
we can operate at a reasonable profit
or even pay expenses at 2 cents a mile,
we will not contest. If not, we want 8
cents"
1t is asserted that no better state to
make the conclusive test could be found
than Illinois. for travel in number of
passengers per mile is said to be heavier
here than in any other part of the coun-
try except New England. While this
means a large decrease in profits at the