The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1911-03-14
Two CENT FARE
BILL DISCUSSED
WOULD AFFECT COPPER RANGE
AND OTHER ROADS NEARLY
AS MUCH AT 1T WOULD
SOUTH SHORE.

The general impression that the
adoption OF the two cent fare bill now
pending i'm the state legislature would
affect only the d.. S. S. & A. road is
incorrect, according to a well known
Calumet business man who took occa-
sion to express his views on the meas
ure this morning.
"As the Copper Range and other
roads operating in the upper PENN
sula are i'm competition with the South
Shore, they would necessarily be
forced to reduce their rates so as to
correspond with those of the D., S. s.
& A. or lose the business" he contin-
ued. land the fact that the D., S. S. &
A. is the only road whose earnings are
in excess of $1,000 per mile, the amount
stipulated i'm the bill would not save
the smaller roads from feeling it's eff
feet"
There are many reasons why the
measure should be opposed" said the
business man, who claims To have
made thorough canvass of the mer-
chants of Calumet, and to have found
that hardly any of them are in favor
of it. In the first place, the roads will
be forced to curtail expenses and will
discontinue the very excellent pas
senger service which has been pro-
vided. substituting a poorer service. 1t
will be impossible for them to con-
tinue the splendid freight service be-
tween the copper country and Chicago
and Detroit. Excursion rates between
points in the copper country and be-
tween this section and other parts of
the country will become thing of the
past, as the Western Passenger Asso-
charged This would affect the work.
ing people of the copper country as
they invariably plan on taking their
vacations when excursion rates are In
effect, and would find their trips more
expensive If the proposed bill becomes
a law, as the excursion rates are in
variably less than two cents pei
mile"
Would Hit Home Coming.
"The Western Passenger Associa
special rates for the Hancock Home
Coming reunion and has deferred ac
ton pending the final disposal of tn
two cent fare bill. If this measur
passes the legislature, it may safel
he predicted that full fiat rates will
demanded The same will apply to tn
Michigan College of Mines quarter
centennial reunion later in the srtmme
and to the Laurium midsummer car
nival. Special excursion rates fC
Sunday could no longer be granite
+ and the popularity Of the nearb
Z parks would suffer immensely"
"The copper country is what
known as a "blind end" Althoug
large shipments of freight are receive
here, most of the cars return empt.
The expense of operating is also niue
heavier. One of the officials of tn
Copper Range road recently state
that the cost of bucking snow had ex
ceeded $4,000 this winter and it ma
be stated that the South Shore ex
pended a proportionate amount.
Several times this winter 1t ha
been necessary for the roads to leav
sleeping parlor cars at junction point
because of the deep snow, and IL is {
be expected if the two cent fare hi
| becomes a law, this service into tn
| copper country will be discontinue
| entirely and the cars will be left a
| junction points"
| Railroad Mems Standpoint.
| Railroad men in the copper country
as might be expected are opposed {
the measure. When speaking Of tn
two cent fare yesterday, a prominen
official of one of the roads stated tina
when the fares were reduced from
to cents per mile, a little over tw
4 years ago. passenger business de
creased 25 per cent, and the same re
suit is anticipated if the proposed fur
Their reduction goes i'm eeffct. 1t
| claimed that the population of tn
copper country does not exceed 100,
900 and that a reduction in the rat
|
and bring in more revenue.
The attitude which the railroad me
take is shown by some of the state
ments made by f. r. Bolles, Genera
Freight and Passenger Agent of IN
Copper Range road, in a letter to tn
house committee on railroads las
week. Mr. Bolles stated that the Cop
| per Range road had been forced
| discontinue running passenger trai
| from Houghton to Ontonagon in tn
evening and from Ontonagon
| Houghton i'm the morning. because tn
train did not earn more than 81 cent
per mile. and this on a 3 cent a mil
basis. Attention was also drawn
the fact that the cost of living i'm tn
uDDer Deninsula is nearly so Der Ger