Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-09-01
RATE INCREASE IS
MADE OFFICIALLY
Statement From Pennsylvania Rail.
road Verifies Telegraph An
nouncement of Week Ago

Official notice of an increase in
mileage rates for open and inter
changeable milage books. came from
the Pennsylvania Railroad officials
yesterday. The Reading Railway
Company will take similar action. The
order verifies the announcement of an
increase made on the Harrisburg Tele-
graph a week ago. The official state
ment follows:
Pennsylvania Railroad Company
to-day filed with the Interstate Com
merCe Commission the necessary no.
tees providing that beginning October
the charge for open and inter-
changeable mileage books shall be at
the rate of 2 Il cents per mile instead
of cents, as heretofore.
This increase is made to carry out
the suggestion of the Interstate Com
merce Commission that additional rev.
enue demanded as the commission
Bays, in the interest of both the gen.
eral public and the railroads., should
be obtained by carriers in Trunk inc
territory by other than increases in
freight rates.
In its decision in the ) per cent
advance rate case the commission
found it to be a fact that there has
been very general and substantial
Increase in railroad expenses, the COM
mission saying: 1t is probable, in the
case of every railroad showing large
increased ratio is due, in large meas
nre, to its passenger service
THE public is we'll aware that al
though there has been no increase in
passenger rates, there has for many
years past been a constant improve
ment in passenger service. 1t is evil
dent that very large expenditures
have been made necessary to provide
the steel cars. improved stations au-
tomato signals and other features
which have added so pronouncedly to
the comfort, safety and convenience
of passengers.
LAS the commission has now de-
clared 1t to be a matter of public
policy that each branch of the rail-
road service should contribute its
proper share to the cost of operation
and of return upon the property de-
voted to the use of the public, the
Pennsylvania Railroad also intends to
make certain other readjustments in
passenger rates. These will be an
nounced later.
THE purpose will be both to en-
body the policy established by the
commission and so spread the changes
in fares that the burden will fall but
lightly on any single traveller"
Porters Transferred. - Sherman
Miles. for number of years porter
on car No. $50, the private car of
Superintendent n. w. Smith, of the
Middle division, Pennsylvania Rail-
road has been transferred to Will
Transport, where he will be porter on
the private car of Superintendent IL.
M. Carson, of the Central division.
Miles place in Altoona will be taken
by John +. Freeman, of Media, Pa,
who has been porter on the private
car of the superintendent of the Me-
dia division and who has held that DO
sition when n. w. Smith, present
Middle division superintendent. was
superintendent of the Media division.
Decrease i'm Earnings. Another
heavy decrease in gross earnings was
experienced by the Pennsylvania sys-
tenn in July, the total decrease for the
lines east and west was S3,0S5,3O3.
However, because of a large curtail-
ment in operating expenses the net
earnings decreased only S3SS, ,206. The
Pennsylvania Railroads operating rev.
enues in July were S16.O6S,5S7, a de-
crease of $SS3,347 The operating ex-
penses were somewhat reduced. and
in consequence the net revenue from
railway operations, $4,214,02SA was
not so heavy as the gross. The de-
crease was, however, 1921, 1928.