The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-05-02
MADE NEW RULE
TO PROTECT LIFE
Practice Of Leaving Train to Buy
Tickets at Stations
Hazardous.
COMMISSION APPROVED 1T.
Traffic Manager Taylor Explains
the Position Of the
r., f. g. P.
COMMISSION APPROVED II

Explaining the attitude Of the COM
pany In asking for a technical increase
In passenger rates, Traffic Manager
Warren p. Taylor. OF the Richmond,
Fredericksburg and Potomac Railway,
issued a statement yesterday showing
the actual average cost of travel and
the conditions which led to an appeal
to the state Corporation Commission
AIndc No Excess Charges.
Mr.. Taylor corrected the statement
that passenger trains on his line did not
stop at Alexandria, adding that the
custom OF stopping the sale of tickets
while trains we've at the stations was
authorized by the commission. Mr..
Taylor said:
1.-THE Richmond. fredericksburg and
Potomac Railroad Company and Wash
ington- Southern Railway Company
have not for years made any excess
charge on their trains from passengers
who failed to provide themselves with
passage tickets before boarding. trains.
Although the order of the State Cor
poratioa Commission permits us to
charge an excess of 10 cents, we have
not done so.
I'm regard to not selling tickets at
stations between the time the trains
arrive and their departure, this plan
was adopted after conference with the
state Corporation Commission solely to
protect life and limb, our agents, par
,ticularly at Alexandria, having in
formed us that many persons were
jumping off trains. rushing into ticket
Offices. and attempting to buy tickets
and board the trains while they were In
motion. This practice was stopped. and
passengers were informed that there
was no excess fare on the trains. and
there was no necessity for their jump
ing on and off the trains for the pur-
pose of buying tickets.
TT has been stated that many Of
our trains do not stop at Alexandria.
This is mistake. All of our passen-
ger trains, north and south, stop. at
Alexandria.
The Interstate Rate.
"For several years we have had
round trip tickets on sale between
Richmond and Washington at rate
of less than two and two-tenths cents
per mile. limited to three days. in
GLIDING date of sale. There is also a
round trip rate of S. limited to ten
days. There are also round trip tickets
+ DciWeSI all SldtiolS dHu w
at the rate OF two and one-half cents
per mile. In addition to all these
forms, there are / ,000-mlle tickets on
sale at two cents per mile. exchange
able at ticket offices for passage
tickets between all points on our line
and Washington, D. c.. and inter-
-changeable over many thousands OF
miles of railroad in the South. Our
straight. or one way, fare between
o;,t,, "a CT ,p{o to
three cents per mile. and 1t is neces-
sary to preserve this interstate rate
10 protect our passenger revenues on
the large volume OF traffic which
passes between the North and the
South entirely. through the. State OF
Virginia, and in which Virginians are
not Interested
{ I'm view Of the fact that there are so
many forms of reduced rate tickets
available between Richmond, and Wash
1ngton. we do not think that it is fair
to criticize the above companies for
UNFOLDING their interstate one-way rate.
known as the basing rate, and
tween the far North and points south
of Virginia are constructed, For to
reduce this rate we would simply be
giving up a large portion of our rev.
enue. not to Virginians. but to a class
of tourists who can well afford to pay
this reasonable charge and never qucs-
ton 1t.
CHEAP Concentration Tickets.
Our commutation rates are said to
be the lowest in the world some of
which average about two-tenths of I
cent per mile, emitting the holder to
transportation of packages and market
ing aggregating sixty pounds per day
free OF charge. We can find no parallel
case In railroad annals either as to
rates or free transportation Of pack
Ages
our intrastate rates will average
less than one and seven-tenths cents
per mile. and our interstate rates a
little more than 2 cents.
Besides frequent accommodation
train service between local points,
there are seven trains each way be-
tween. Richmond and Washington, and
everything reasonable and consistent
with good management is done for the
comfort safety and accommodation of