New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-05-20
RAILROADS GIVE REASONS
Have Been Carrying Commuters
at a Loss, They Assert.
RATES GO UP THIS WEEK
Increased Living Cost, Higher
Wages and Heavier Taxes Must
Be Borne by Suburbanites.

T,rsr.- commuters az at least 4 good
rhsre Of them. viii probably know to-day
Or tomorrow just how much more they
have to contribute to the high cost OF Nv
inS. in railroad fares Commuters along
the New York Central lines may be kept
in suspense little longer. but they are
sure 30 have 10 pay their little dollar or
Two advance IN good slime.
II won't pay 10 worry in the mean time.
a trolIevs are TOO slow FOR the busting
population that lives around the edge Of
the metropolis and airships are still be-
,ond reach in the market. so there IS no
alternative for the suburhanite but to take
his medicine IN public with philosophical
sHuressian and make his WY faces behind
the doctors hack.
Commuters NAV find consolation IN the
fsct. however, as representatives OF the
railroads said yesterday, that the increase
in rates would not he hardship. and pure
- nominal in most instances. High Ter
u7insl charges. large increases in taxes dur
ing the IL st few years and the Increased
cost % maintenance and wages were given
generally as the causes for increased COM
mutation rates.
DESPITE the prevailing idea or the ordinary
cornmuter that mis- patronage contributes
- rrost columns Of the roads. the com
mutation business is not self-sustaininS,
pnd more often means an actual loss 10 the
railroad was fhe statement al practically
81 the railroad Offices yesterday.
Y. t. HOPE. general passenger agent OF
,i,e Central Railroad Of New Jersey, said
ths, his company expected to make the
announcements Of the schedule of increased
monthly communication rates to-day Or to-
morrow. Tho increase would be nominal
ono aud the rates between Plainfeld and
%cv York would be boosted only about .
cents hove the present rate of 5. so, he
rzid = corresponding increase will be
MADE from other stations along the line
or the railroad. The actual revenue OBJ
iained ny this increase would be small. il
VAS said probably not exceeding S5.ee9
,ear.
Al the oficc= or the Erie and the Lacka-
wanna railroads IL was said that the mat
ter Of increased communication rates was
sin under consideration. but that an an
uouncen,eut probably would be forthcom-
iD- soon. II pointed out that the
F,ris'e charges for commuters was sub
s;sntiallv the same now as they were
twenty wears ago, when the suburban lines
~-ere taken into the system. The time
when this class Of business ceased TO be
profitable was hard TO fiz. it was said, but
business al loss for at least four years.
Il IL wiling 10 carry the commuters at the
actual cost Of furnishing the trapsporta-
ion and is DESTROYS only of placing that
end Of the business on a sclf-sustainng
basis il was said.
Speaking in general" said New Jersey
railroad official yesterday. the railroads
have been affected by the high cost Of liv-
INK as well as the people. Taxes have in
creased 900 per cent. the cost Of mainte-
nance has doubled during ten years, and
the cost of operating large terminals has
gone up greatly The increase in travel
curing that time has been by no means suf-
ficient 10 Offset the increase in expenditure.
When You come to figure it out you will
find that the average rate a mile is no.
where as much the suburban railroads
IS il is on the subway. While the aver
zEe communication rate viii not exceed 6lz
mills to The nile, the average rate on the
subway Is more than one cent. for the
erage passenger does not travel in the sub
WAY more than five miles. The present
Communication rates on the New Jersey rail
roads were established when the expenses
we're about half what they are now.
L. r. Nosburgh, assistant general pas
renEer agent Of the New York Central lines,
SAID that an increase in communication rates
would come as soon as the figures upon
which 20 base The new rates could be de-
iermined We are working on the matter
now. but ] can't say just when the in
crease VIII be put into effect" he said
The increase. however. viii not be hard
ship for the ccmmuter. and in some in
stances. in standardizing the rates on the
various branches. it will mean 3 decrease
instead Of an advance.
NJ. Tosbursh said that the average in
crease on the suburban lines probably
Mould not exceed 81 a month The recent
increase IL wages. the high cost Of mainte-
nance as oonrared with a few years ago
Hr6 the greatly increased taxes and ter
rui1sl expenses we're the asons for the
now rates. ne said.