The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-08-18
RAILROADS SHOW
 LOSS IN RECEIPTS Reduced Rates Have Not Helped
 Georgia Lines TRIAL PERIOD ENDS SEPT. 2 Reports From the Various Roads Show Gains In Passengers Carried, But
 Losses In Revenue, Which
 Are Rather Heavy.
TRIAL PERIOD ENDS SEPT. 2

is approaching when some sort of show
 ing will probably be made before the
 state railroad commission with regard to
 the results of the reduced passenger rates
 which on September next will have been
 in effect for one year.
 Whether the railroads of the state will
 ask any restoration of the old rates or not has not been determined; at least 1t
 has not been made public. But the rail
 road revenues have suffered considerably
 as result of the reduced rates, is al- ready apparent in reports which have been regularly made to the railroad com- mission.
 Those railroads which readily acceded to the order to put in reduced passenger rates, without fighting them in courts, did so on the understanding that in the event they suffered too great loss as result they would come back with the re- quest for restoration of the old rates; and. upon proper showing made, would expect the commission to put them back. | While it Is impossible at this time to predict what the outcome will be, pos l sible indication as to what course the 1 railroads may pursue may be found in the results of operations on some of the larger systems.
 Take, for instance, the Atlantic Coast Line, whose reports for a period of nine month-from September 1, 1907, to June l, 19OS-are before the railroad commission in comparative tabulated form. In the same nine months of 19O6-7 the Coast Line hauled 6SS, ,s2S passengers, and in that pe- | Q e=7 in crease of 37,74S, or 5.6 per cent. The Coast Lines gross passenger revenue for that period of 19O6-7 was $549,S17.27, and for 1907-8 s444766.S6, a decrease of $1O5, ,O50 F of 19.1 per cent. It is apparent that the increased travel was far from sufficient to make up for the loss of revenue as the result of the reduction in the rate
 The tabulated statement of the Sea board Air Lines passenger earnings for the eight months period of September l, 1907, to May 1, 1908, shows a falling off as compared with the same period of the year before of $3,31S.o1. The first three months of the period mentioned showed an increase over the previous year, but in the months following the decrease has been growing larger and larger. The Seaboards total revenues from Georgia travel for the eight months of 1907-S were s29S, ,572. .52, as compared with 1902, ,S9053 for
 the same period in 1sos-7.
 Figures have been received showing
 similar results on the Southern railway
 for seven months period from Septem-
 Der 1, 1907, to April 1, 1908. The passen-
 ger revenue from intrastate business for
 foa mar rcd
 with s1 ,zS4 337. .O1 for the same period of the
 year before, a decrease under the lower
 rates of $1OS775.5s, or sH per cent.
 The foregoing figures relate wholly to
 intrastate travel. for while the lower
 rates In some instances apply outside the
 state, it is only with business inside the
 state that the railroad commission Is
 dealing. More recent months, 1t is stated,
 show still larger decreases in earnings
 over those of the previous year. and
 they apply to every railroad in the state,
 in greater or less degree, on which tho
 reduced rates were ordered into effect.
 The foregoing three roads are those
 which agreed to put on the two-cent
 mileage, and they are the only ones in
 connection with which the complete fig
 ures were easily obtainable. Here and
 there reports from some of the other
 roads are missing.
 The foregoing figures, however, are in dicative of results. They show that the
 increased travel which it was predicted would follow the reductions has not been sufficient to make up for the lost revenue ) which the reduction caused. Whether
 the increase in revenue would have been any greater if it had not been for the } panic, is, of course, @ mooted question
 Possibly 1t would but railroads are ac-
 customed to act upon real results as shown by figures, and not upon specula- tion
 The rates of fare on the foregoing rail l roads were reduced from cents to 2E cents a mile, except in case of 1000 and
 POGO mile books which are sold at the
 rate of cents.
 If is said to be not unlikely that these
 results will be put forward as the basis
 of petition. in some instances at least for the restorati of the old rates Another question which went down in oblivion in the closing hours of the recent legislative session, was the prop , osition to extend the Western and At , lantic railroad, the states property, to the sea.
 } The house discussed and threshed out this measure for an entire week, } and finally reached temporary solu- tion of the problem by passing resolu- ! tion providing for the appointment of , "a special commission to consider the Imatter in all its phases and report al
 the next session of the general assem- } 1 bly,
 On the final night of the session this l resolution came up in the senate, but , was tabled at a time when tablins meant death. So there will be no com [ ! mission. And Western and Atlantic ex- tension will be fought out again be- fore the next general assembly. It IS | inevitable since Hooper Alexander of 1. DeKalb is member of it.
 Mr. Alexander would like to have the . question included in the extra session r call for August 25, but like many other } subjects which are knocking for ad- } mission, it will have to go to the side ] track, for convicts and only convicts
 are then to be considered.
 There Is little to be said of the con [ vict question at present. It is in the waiting stage. 1t will have to be taken up de novo by the eXtraordi- nary session, for no matter can be brought over. The result will be a 5 flood of bills In both house and sen ate where about every third member thinks he has the only original and satisfactory solution of the problem at 3 his finger tips. Bills. amendments and l substitutes galore will be presented, but l out of 1t all 1t is believed both branches
 will soon concentrate on the measure
 which promises speediest termination 2 Q of the lease system, and, coupled with 1t, constitutional amendment for SUD