The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1910-11-29
To Contest Rates.

SOASCJ W OOCf ZIG law as W pdSS6nR6T
fares.
This appeal will also carry with it
petition that the railroad company shall
not be permitted to increase the fares in
its new schedule, which went into effect
on Sunday. These increases from nearby
points, such as Mount Holly and Pember-
ton, are as much as 20 cents.
Charles A. Wolverton, Assistant Prose-
cutor of Camden, has been retained as
attorney by a number of south Jersey real
estate men to look into the legal status of
the increases
"The situation, to me, is about as fol-
lows" said Mr.. Wolverton. "The Penn
sylvania Railroad has not only fixed rates
contrary to law, under the guise of OBJ
serving the law, but there has been an
apparent deliberate attempt to keep the
news of the intended increase from the
public until the last moment, which is
contrary to law.
Instead of the new fare schedules
being placed in the waiting rooms of the
stations, as the law requires, it is stated
they were kept under lock and key, and
In several instances could not be examined.
even when request for such examination
was made.
"The Pennsylvania Railroad, in giving
the company's reason for the increases,
said 1t was done In compliance with the
ARCHAEOLOGICAL clause of the Inter
state Commerce act.
This clause declares 1t shall not be
legal to charge any greater compensation,
In the aggregate, for transportation for
shorter than for longer distance over the
same route
''That is to say, the act will not permit
the company to charge less for one dis
lance In one section of its road than for
the same distance In another section.
Therefore, the company says, it is neces-
sary to increase the rates between Phila-
delphia and Mount Holly and intermediate
points, so as to make them correspond to
the rates asked beyond Mount Holly,
where there is very little traffic
the public, they could, under this inter-
probation of the law, again increase the
rates east OF Mount Holly, and it would be
necessary to again increase west of that
point to the dense travel, In order to
equalize rates. Certainly 1t was never in
tended the company should have such
powers.
"The Pennsylvania company, instead
of slightly lowering the rates east of
Mount Holly, placed all the increase on
Mount Holly and points west. The act,
which was meant to protect short distance
riders, is therefore used to make them paw
more fare.
''The sole plea of the company is that
it must increase the fares to comply with
the law. 1t makes the increase on
section where nine-tenths of the travel
exists in order to prevent slight decrease
In a section where there is very little
travel. The act is therefore construed
not to safeguard the public, but to squeeze
more money out Of 1t.
"But the same federal act which the
Pennsylvania company uses as an ex-
cuse to increase fares to 90, 900 residents
of south Jersey it deliberately violates
equitably if not legally in its new sched-
ule. The Pennsylvania Railroad is not
fair with the public in its statement in
that it does not quote the part of the law
that shows its own illegal rates. The law
reads:
"But this act shall not be construed as
authorizing any common carrier within
the terms of this act to charge or receive
as great compensation for a shorter ride
as for d longer distance.
Tickets bought at Broadway or at the
Camden terminal under the new schedule
will cost as much as though they were
bought in Philadelphia. The Pennsyl-
vania will be charging as much for a
shorter ride as 1t will for longer. This
is not equitable even If it be legal. The
Pennsylvania Railroad knew this and
deli berately omitted Broadway from its
fare schedule. although there is tremen-
dous traffic at that station.
THE same law applies to tickets sold
to other stations. For instance, an excur-
sion rate of 30 cents Is asked to Morris, to
Palmyra and to Riverton, while the single
fares show that for Morris the rate is 18
cents, for Palmyra % cents and Riverton
% cents. This difference is not made up
In the excursion rate despite the provis-
ions of the act. This is clearly Illegal
under the act, but the Pennsylvania, so
anxious to construe a portion of the law
to its advantage, violates the same act at
the same time. The passenger for Morris
pays as much for an excursion ticket as
the passenger for Riverton, two stations
| further on.
1.-THE Pennsylvania Company In de-
claring the act compelled the company to
make the increases again deceives the
public by failing to quote that section
which says that upon application to the
interstate commerce commission such com
mon carrier may be relieved from the
operation of the act If the commission be-
ieves such relief would be equitable.
''The secretary of the interstate COM
merce commission by telephone says the
Pennsylvania had never filed such re-
quest.
| The Pennsylvania therefore uses an
act as an excuse to raise fares by equaliz-
ing rates, and violates the same act by
making unequal and unequitable rates
between other stations"
Mr.. Wolverton declined to say when
he would file an appeal with the inter
state commerce commission.
| Suburbanites over the United Railroad:
of New Jersey fear a general rise In com
mutation rates, and town organizations
will probably be affected. These will
elect delegates to a central body.
An odd feature of the fight is an end
less card chain, In which each link In thu
chain is asked to sign the following pledge
Independent Of political affiliations.
promise to vote against any candidate fol-
public Office who favors any project ad
vocated by the Pennsylvania Railroad
until the old rates of fare are re-estab
lished."
1t is believed these pledges will b,
signed by $4,000 south Jerseymen within
a short time, and that the suburbanites Of
lower counties will form a combination
with the North Jersey Commuter s. Al
sociation, and the two, acting Jointly
will be powerful in the political life of thu
state, so far as public utility legislation ii
affected.
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