The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1914-01-08
AFFECTS kENOSHA INTERURHAN
Nickel Zones Must be Discontinued and
Fare for Trips to be Determined by
Distance to be Travelled Irrespective
Of Conditions Prevailing in the Past.

In a decision handed down by the
Wisconsin Railroad Commission OH Sat
urday afternoon the entire system of
fares of the suburban and interurban
business of the Milwaukee Electric
Railway and Light Company, operators
of the Milwaukee, Racine and Kenosha
lines and many other interurban lines
out of Milwaukee, are revised and plac-
ed upon a uniform distance basis. The
order of the commission will result in
the reduction of many rates OF fare
or the interurban systems, but import
ant in the order of the commission is
zones. Fares to twenty-eight subur
ban and interurban stations will be
increased by the order of the commits
sion. 1t is probable that many changes
will be made on the lines running north
from Kenosha but the order Of the com
mission is so intricate that it would be
impossible for a laymen unaccustomed
to figuring railway traffic to figure out
just how the fares from Kenosha will
be shown in the new traffic sheet. 1t
is said that the order Of the commission
il one decidedly acceptable to the Of
icials of the railway company. There
is no doubt but that traffic rates in
keeping with the order will be put into
effect just as soon as the traffic ex-
perts of the company can figure out the
new rates of fare. 1t is certain that
under the order of the commission many
of the old rates will remain undisturbod
but some of the nickel rates for short
hauls will be increased.
In the formal orders the members of
the commission say in part:
g In establishing revised system of
interurban and suburban fares it is
fully realized that the present fares
will be considerably disturbed in some
sections of the tributary territory, bit
this is not due to the application of
any radical or untried theory Of rates.
1t is due principally because the exist
ing fares, as shown previously, do not
rest upon any scientific basis, but are
based upon unequal zone distances and
favored local concessions. Patrons fav-
orably situated are granted extremely
low fares, part of the cost of which
have to be borne by those less favor
ably situated and paying excessive
rates.
With these facts in mind revision
is here undertaken with the sole aim
o. removing as much OF the discrimina-
tions as possible and placing a schedule
of fares in force upon uniform rate
per passenger mile, which will equalize
opportunity for local growth and ex-
pansion, insure equitability between
persons, and reasonably preserve the
amount of traffic upon the various
lines"
Rates on Other Lines
In applying a uniform distance basis
to the suburban and interurban lines
the decision states as follows:
1t is deemed that basic rate of
two cents per passenger mile upon a
cash basis with fat fare for the ter
minal and subterminals will best meet
the interurban requirements, That such
rate IS not a new departure in elec-
trio railway operation is shown by con
ditions in this and other states.
In this state the Sheboygan Elec-
trio Railway Company, running be-
tween Sheboygan, Plymouth and Elk
hart, changed over some six years ago /;
the Milwaukee Northern Railway Com
panM running between Milwaukee and
Sheboygan, adopted the mileage system
when it began operation in 1908; the
Rockford and Interurban Railway Com
pany, running between Rockford, ILL.,,
and GAINESVILLE, changed over to dis.
tance basis last year, and the three in.
terurban lines operating between Osh-
kosh, Fond du Lac, Neenah and Omro.
in the region of Winnebago Lake, have
fled an application with the commits
sion to change their FIVE cents zone
rates to a mileage basis.
New System Desired.
'sThe application of the respondents
uiSu OH august Id, 1910, WIN TINS COM
mission, to abandon the FIVE cent zone
system and place the rates on a more
uniform basis is in line with this gen
era, change.
1t has been the contention that
the basic rate in this case should be
placed upon cost of service basis
Computations in the matter, City of Mil
waukee KS. The Milwaukee Electric
Railway and Light Company, II w r
G, r., PIP. 282-2S3, table 50, show that
the rate of return upon the total inter
urban physical property amounted to
$40 per cent in 1908, 3.05 per cent in
1909, Isl per cent in 1910 and 2.35 per
cent IL 1911. Similar computations for
1871 show the per cent return to APP
proximate Is, These facts indicate
that when rs per cent is considered a