Omaha daily bee., 1907-02-24


IT may not know as much about the cost
Of running passenger trains asssome OF you,
but several railroad men have been trying
hard to instruct me the last few days,
The, assistant general passenger agent of
the Union Pacific, Gerrit Fort, told the
legislature and he has since told it again
to me, that for the whole Union Pacific
system, including the Oregon Short line and
the lines In Colorado and Wyoming and
the mountain states, where they charge
passengers cents a mile, the average
earnings last year per passenger per mile
was LIS cents. This was for those who
paid full fare and for those who had half
fare tickets and for those who rode on
passes and paid nothing at all and he said
the number who rode on passes constituted
4 per cent of the whole number.
"If they will stop the pass business and
the half-fare dispensation and other special
privileges and charge cents fiat do not
believe the roads win suffer any diminu-
ton OF revenue whatever when they count
up their passenger earnings at the end OF
the year.
Mr.. Rosewater here told OF his converse
tion with motorman on a street car, who
said that last summer ne had had a pass
to Chicago and half fare from there to
4
car boys always got half fare when they
secured a request through their general
ma mayer for themselves or their families
And did you believe himf" interrupted
G. w. Holdrege.
Yes, sir, ! believed him. came the quick
reply. And would believe him just as
soon as would you. Mr.. Holdrege. for he
has never to my knowledge told me false
hood.
1T seems mighty queer to me-" continued
! Mr., Rosewater,. that among the COMMITTEES
who passed this resolution are some of
the same men who went to Washington
about year ago to testify for the
| railroads before congressional COM
mittee, and some of the same men
who went to Chicago a year ago TO a
convention called to back up the presiden
in his demands for railroad regulation, bu
who attended the rump convention oppos
ing the president instead. 1t seems queel
TO me that the same men go to the from
for the railroads so uniformly"
Mr.. Rosewater spoke shortly on the sub
ject OF terminal taxation. pointing to thu
immense holdings OF the railroads II
Omaha which go practically untaxed.
Henry w. Yates moved TO separate thu
two issues and vote on each one. The mo
ton was lost.
The ballot was then taken on the origlna
motion. endorsing 2-cent fare and termina
| taxation, and carried by vote of 20 to q
Resolution. that Was Repudiated.
This IL the text Of the resolution passed
February u. and which brought the storm
Resolved. That In the opinion OF the ex
eeutiYe committee OF the COMMERCIAL elul
Of Omaha a uniform reduction of passenge
rates In the state Of Nebraska 10 cent
per mile at the present time would retar,
the growth and development OF the stat,
and would be unfair TO the transportation
4 companies.
Resolved That In our opinion the peopl
OF this state need more and better trans
portation facilities In the way of add
tionaI trains and equipment, double tracks
improved terminals and other general i'm
provements, to the end that the passenEe
and freight business OF the state may b.
transacted with greater facility.