The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-05-10
ruE coM,l,lrEns IN AIMS.

THE COMMUTERS IN ARMS.
The New York, New Haven and
Hartford Railroad Company has de-
tcrmined to increase it's passenger
rates basing the increase upon the
density OF traffic upon its lines The
| increase will amount to about 2 per
| cent. on the main stem and to nearly
or quite % per cent. upon its most
| Improbable branch lines. This latter
| increase. it is said, will increase the
rate from . cents to . IL cents mile,
| the rate which obtained before the
reduction was made on the whole sys-
TEN three years ago. The readjust-
| the increased cost of operation caused
| by the increase of wages in the sew
f, eral operating branches of the service.
! The announcement has caused much
Indignation among the commuters. and
many almost violent protests have
been fled with the authorities. A train
load of citizens from Mount Vernon,
New Rochelle, Larchmont, Mamaro-
neck, Rye and Port Chester will storm
Governor Hughes a the Capitol in AL
bany to day to urge him to take state
action against the increase of rail-
road fares, and to send an emergency
message to the Legislature insisting
upon the passage of bill which will
put the matter of communication rates
on all railroads in New York State
in the hands of the Public Service
Commission In view of his approach
ing elevation to the bench it is hoped
that Governor Hughes will treat the
commuters and their case in a per-
fectly judicial way
There is no doubt that the indignant
citizens are very angry, Mayor F'iskc,
of Mount Vernon, having expressed
the opinion that ..the statement of the
company is asinlne.' That is probably
! what all of the citizens, who want
to ride for less than 1t costs to haul
I, them, also think but we suppose that
the company Will be able to make a
good showing when it is required to
do so. il the railroad were making or
saving money by the reduced rates
there is no reason to believe that it
would care to change them. That looks
reasonable. If it We're getting out of
the business of hauling people all
| that it is worth, it would not, as a
! business matter. care to unduly excite
the vox populi and run the risk of
4 further punitive legislation. That is
n. !, M
there is the increased cost of living
which the railroad has been compelled
TO meet in this case by increasing the
wages of the men who do the work.
There is no court which would compel
the road to operate at loss.
All these are questions, however,
which must be met in the manner and
I form provided by law, and we are not
particularly interested in them except
! as q bystander. and because 1t proves
what we have claimed, that in some
parts of the country passengers cam
not be hauled at . cents the mile with
any chance of the railroads making
enough out of the business to meet
tltlt 4obil dliNila. IL tIie NV
York, New Haven and Hartford Rail
road could not make both ends meet
with the territory it has to feed upon,
how utterly impossible it is for the
railroads i'll South Carolina. for ex
ample, to get out with any profit at
all? In South Carolina the population
is 4i,4 to the square mile of territory
In Virginia ii is i6.2 to the square
mile. In Massachusetts it is 1888; in
Connecticut it is 1873, and In New
York it is 1926. We do not think that
it Is necessary to make any comment
whatever upon these figures. They
speak for themselves.
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