The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1910-04-13


At last we are to see a show down
on Pullman sleeper rates. The inter
state commerce commission has OPEN
ed up the question by ruling that IL is
unjust and unreasonable" for the
company to charge the same rate for
upper and lower berths. and II has
also reduced specific rates maintained
by the Pullman company, principal
among them the rate from ST. Paul
to the Pacific coast. II is cut down
from Si2 to siO, and a $3.50 diferen-
tial is made between an upper and
lower berth. The Pullman company
will appeal from the interstate COM
merce commissions finding 10 the
courts. i'm an effect 10 have the conf
MISSIONS order nullifled.
The report of the commission. made
public i'm this connection. shows the
payment OF nearly ssO.OOO.OOO in reg
ular dividends by the Pullman COM
many from 1899 to 1908, and during a
period OF eleven years s51.000,00O In
spccial stock and cash dividends have
been divided. During all this time the
public, in addition to being charged
a fat rate for the sleeping car service
irrespective of whether the berth used
was an upper or a lower, has been
having the salaries Of the Pullman
porters. I'm tips. leaving the conduc-
tors practically the only employees to
be carried on the payroll of the Pull
man service.
II the record Of the Pullman COM
many in Michigan is a fair criterion
of it's record I'm other states, 1t is pa
tent that another source of its large
nrofits has been unscrupulous tax
dodging comments the Mining Journ-
.la. Until the last two years the COM
many has. along the telephone, tele-
graph and express companies, escap-
ed i'm Michigan all but merely nominal
taxation. and the sum which the state
should have collected from IT, but fail
ed to do. probably mounts we'll into
six figures. For years after the ef-
forts to secure equitable taxation for
this sleeping car monopoly in Michigan
was started it was fought successful
" by the company by clever lobbying
AT the state capitol. the hidden chap
tiers Of which would no doubt make
Interesting reading.
But. after all. the source of the Pull
man company's very large profits has
been excessive charges for its service,
and the significance Of the interstate
commerce commissions move against
IL lies i'm the fact that IL proposes to
consider, If the courts uphold its rights
to do so the existing rates, and If 1t
does this it will probably order ma
terial reductions. To be effectual this
work must embrace the entire country.
II is q work the commission should
certainly take up, for not only do the
existing rates hit the public's purse
with unjust severity, but they prevent
many people from enjoying the COM
forts Of sleeping ear service who would
have them If the rates were more
reasonable.
It will be hoped that the courts will
hold that the interstate commerce
cimmission is within its powers i'm max
ing am inquiry into the exactions Of the
Pullman company, and that once its
powers are upheld, it will undertake
q general investigation 10 determine,
for the entire country, what are reas-
enable rates-ratcs that viii insure
the company fair earnings and the
public that it is not being soaked"
out Of all reasons for the sleeping
car service.