Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-04-03
Donald Replies to the Letter OF Co., Haines

Central system and In combination with
books of other roads and other tickets
for making interstate trips So far as
| such use of the book is concerned II Is
under federal regulation, and Whatever
tariff is legally established for inter-State
| traffic is beyond the control of the state.
The Interstate Commerce. Commission
might approve a rate, of FAC. FOR m
| stance, which would then become the le-
| gal rate for the book when used IN IN
| ter-State traffic, and no statutes OF the
! state to the contrary would have any
effect upon this Interstate rate. On the
other hand the use of the book for jour
neys made wholly within the state,
would be within the States control ana
| the Interstate Commerce Commission
| could not in any way change such rate
! legally established by the State AS
| practical matter, it would be almost I'M
| possible to operate the railroad satls-
| factorily with these two kinds OF books.
! Continual confusion and dissatisfaction
| must result from such condition OF al
| fairs. AS a practical matter the railroad
must issue books good for both kinds OF
| Journeys at the lowest rate in order to
preserve satisfactory operation.
| The passenger rates and the revenue
| derived therefrom are dependent very
| largely upon the rate fixed for the gem
eraI mileage book More than one-half
| of the entire local revenue is derived d.
rectly from the mileage book, and the
rates for tickets are indirectly controlled
/ by the mileage book rate. Experience
! seems to show that small difference
! only can be maintained between the
| ticket rate and the mileage book rate; as
the difference increases the percentage OF
mileage books used increases to such an
extent that when a certain point Is
! reached a further increase in the differ
! ence between the ticket rate ana the mn,
| cage book rate will result in an actual
| loss of revenue.
There are many persons who have
| given this matter careful study, ana
| whose opinion should be of weight in re-
| lation to it, who take the ground that no
| mileage book issued at less than the or
I binary ticket rate is justiffable. rms
opinion was advanced and maintalnea og
a part of the commissioners who TOOK
| part in the conference upon proposed III
crease of Boston and Maine rates, out
the conference as a whole took no ac-
ton upon it. either approving or con-
demning the issuing of such books.
Mileage Book Fixes Rates.
AS a matter of fact the mileage book
has developed into an element in the fix
ing of passenger rates which was never
intended and never considered when the
books We're originally issued IL was
found in the early operation OF railroads
that there were certain classes OF pas
sengers whose patronage could not be
obtained at the ordinary ticket rate, ana
vet who would become regular patrons
of the road at a certain reduced rate. 1t
was believed that this class OF travel
could be added to the road without much
expense to the train service. one IN
{
take UP their residence at some distance
from their place of business, provided
they could ride back and forth each day
at rate which was within their means.
Another instance was scholars who
would attend school at some distance
from home under like conditions. Tickets
were provided for this class of passen-
gers, the scheme being in general way
to fix the rate of fare upon the basis or
these people making a round trip each
day and limiting the ticket to such trips
and to the person to whom il was issued
From this has developed the whole sys-
tenn of transportation for commuters
AS 1t progressed. there has been injected
into il an element which was foreign TO
the original idea, and which manifests
itself in the 10 and u trip tickets between
two stations, good for any person and
not limited to any specified time for use
The mileage book was first used TO
take care of asomewhat similar situation.
1t was said that there We're many KINDS
of business which might be promoted by
men travelling upon the road, but that
the ordinary local fares We're pfohlpI-
tive. To meet thsi situation mileage
books were issued to individuals, limited
in time as to their use and confined to
the person to whom they were issued ,
that is to say, the man paid for 2Jo3
miles of travel which he must make
within the year or forfeit the balance OF
his book, and he must do TINS travelling
| personally. In other words, II was a
scheme whereby the travel Of this partie-
ular man TO the extent of $500 miles might
be added to the business then being done
by the railroad without in any way al
fecting its ordinary passenger revenue
From this starting point continual pres
sure on the part of the public for the
extension of the mileage book privilege
has gone on until We have today the
Thousand mile book, good to bearer, and
available upon all parts of the system
without limit as to time. The difference
between the original idea in the issuing
of tickets to individuals for ther own
particular use and the present system or
10 and "Trip tickets between specified
stations, is readily seen. The original
of traffic, the limits of whihc were de-
fined by conditions under which the
travel must be done, If at all Under the
present situation the 1O-trip ticket ana
the open mileage book Is not confined to
any such class of traffic, but Is simply
device whereby party who Will ADVANCE
certain sum of money may nave gen
eral transportation at less rate tnah one
who has not the money TO advance III
simply means that q man with S2O TO buy
a mileage book may have exactly the
same kind of service under the same con-
ditions as that granted to man VINO
BUYS a single ticket, but at a reduced
rate. Those who condemn the mileage
book system take the ground that such
reduction in rate is discrimination pure
and simple in favor OF the man with
money and against the man OF moderate
means who is obliged to buy his trans
portation as he uses II.
Mileage Book Leaning
Instead Of being a means of providing
! for particular classes of travel which
might properly be provided with rate
appropriate for such classes, the mileage
book has become simply a means OF sub
| shutting the use OF the book for the pur-
| pose of local tickets in all territory and
among all classes of travel limited only
| by the ability of the traveller to procure
| the book for use. This condition of
| things has developed large business in
! the loaning of mileage books for pay
| which is carried on by ticket brokers.
| This is one of the worst features of the
] situation and one for which there is no
| justification whatever, and yet one for
| which there seems to be no remedy I'M
| der existing conditions. The profit to
these brokers is pure waste in the prob
| lam of transportation. Far better that
the railroad should have the full price
! which the traveller pays the broker for
/ transportation or that the traveller should
| have his transportation at the price
which the railroad receives from the
| mileage book.
The nearer the price of the mileage
book approaches to that of the local tick
ct the less opportunity there is Tor the
business of the ticket broker. Unless
there is difference enough in these rates
to provide for saving to the traveller
80 "a pro6t ~ tha bralSer the business