The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1908-09-01
mi ERsrATE COMMERCE LAW
PREVENTS Low RATE.
MONEY ALL RETURNED
Fare, Which Railroad Company Re
CURED, Larger Than Was Under
stood, 50 Committee Decided TO Can
Gel Arrangements.
From Sundays Daily.

In, which the Chamber OF Commerce
had proposed running the last Of this
week, was yesterday declared on and
the money advanced by business men
for tickets was returned by Secretary
Decker, 3. R. eKil and John Walker
the committee, which solicited the sub
scriptions. The reasons for CANCEL
ing the excursion yer given out BY
the committee to the newspapers il
q written interview.
Yes, the excursion to the Big Horn
basin is or" said Messrs. Decker, Keil
and Walker. when we went to Mr.
Klippel this morning to make the de
post demanded for the special train,
we found that a misunderstanding ex.
listed. It was our understanding that
the sum of $1,225 entitled us to the
train, regardless Of the number Of per.
sons carried. Divided by 20, the num-
Der we figured on carrying, this would
have been $3.50 for each passenger.
Instead, however, we were told that
the amount stated vas the minimum
for so persons, making the fare be
tween $24 and $25. Our list contain
ing 20 names, the company demanded
the regular fare for each person,
$17.15, plus the sleeping car charge,
which would have been $500 for the
two %sleepers necessary, making the
fare for each person $22.30. Although
liberal response was made when we
canvassed the city. we arrived at the
conclusion that to undertake a sec
ond canvass to raise the additional
amount would be asking too much, SO
decided to abandon the excursion.
Flat Rate Was Refused.
I'VE endeayored to have the rail-
road make a fat rate for the train,
as we understood was the case, but
Mr.. Klippel said this was impossible
because Of the Interstate commerce
law, under which the company had
filed its tariff and to make a change
would require public notice of 80 days.
This was out of the question, as the
Basin people would not postpone their
fair, and we felt that much as our
people wanted to make the proposed
trip, they would not care to pay the
additional amount demanded, mas
much as they had already paid, as
they and we supposed, all that was
needed. We then returned the checks
and money collected, and found that
we had not made a mistake of judg-
ment, all saying that the sum raised
vas sufficient to warrant the company
in sending out the train. But it seems
that the law was against such a prop
osition, even though had the railroad
been willing to make the concession.
So the excursion is cancelled, much as
we and those who had intended going
regret 1t.
We have been told that Great Falls
Is prepared to run an excursion down
this way as soon as the Billings and
Northern is completed. It is in order
for u people not to be caught nap.
ping. We must get busy and arrange
for an excursion over that line before
the Great Falls hustlers can bring
down theirs. In that instance the in
terstate commerce law cuts no figure,
being a purely local matter and the
railroad is not bound by the i~ronclad
rules and regulations that apparently
hedge about traffic extending across
the state line, yer for so short a dis
lance al the Big Horn basin. We can
arrange for a train and take as many
as we please. regardless Of tariffs; at
least so it is explained to u.s."