The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-11-22
RAIL ROADS
Per SQUARE MILE
Density of Population Neces-
sary for Heavy Traffic.
Topeka Official Explains the
Proposed Rate Increase.

On their harmony trips the officer.
of the Santa Fe railway take the
| public into their confidence, as il
were, in practically every phase OF
the transportation problem. They &C
on the theory that the best way tC
tell the people their story is to tell it
and it seems that they leave nothing
unsaid.
j. NJ. Connen, general passenger
agent, has prepared a review of the
recent history of the passenger fare
situation, which he presents at Com
mercial club meetings.
Five or six years ago a wave or
sentiment in favor of reduction in
passenger fares spread over the cour-
try in the territory west of Buffalo,
Pittsburg and Cincinnati as far west
as the Rocky mountains, probably in
spired by designing politicians" Mr..
Council says. This was soon followed
by legislative enactments in some
states and orders from public survice
commissions in other states, redu cling
passenger fares in the territory de-
scribed to two cents per mile
About two years ago the interstate
commerce commission, in its decision
in the so-called five per cent freight
rate case, which involved freight rates
in the territory east of the Mississippi
river, took occasion to say, in effect,
that the passenger revenue OF lines IN
that territory was not compensa tory.
land Pittsburg and Buffalo and west
of Chicago and St. Louis advanced
their interstate fares on the basis OF
two and one-half cents per mile, dis
regarding the combinations of state
made fares Tariffs quoting these in
terstate fares on the basis of two and
one-half cents per mile were filed with
the interstate commerce commission
as required by law and the rates as
shown were permitted to go into eff
feet.
Somewhat later lines in Oklahoma
and Arkansas constructed their inter-
state fares into and through the states
named on the basis of three cents per
mile in these states. Protest was made
by the utility commissions of Okla
homa and Arkansas to the interstate
commerce commission. but the tariffs
were allowed to go into effect
I'm order to secure heavy volume
of passenger travel density of popu-
latton is essential. Density of popu-
1ation in our eastern states is com
paratively great. For example, in
New York the density OF population
is 204 per square mile Passenger
fare on main lines in New York is two
and one-half cents per mile. In Penn
sylvania the population per square
mile is ISL. The passenger fare per
mile is two and ope-half cents. Re-
Gently the public service commission
has issued an order authorizing rail-
roads of Missouri to advance their
fares to two and one-half cents per
mile, effective January /, 1915. This
order was issued after a most thor
nugh investigation which showed con-
clusively to the commission that the
railroads of Missouri were carrying
pa ssengers at a loss. The population
of the state of Missouri is 40 per
square mile.
The railroads of Kansas at the
present time are receiving only two
cents per mile. The population in this
state is only p per square mile, or less
than one-half that of the state of Mis-
souri, Application was made to the
public utilities commission of Kansas
some months ago for authority to ad-
vance passenger fare to three cents
per mile. The decision of the COM
mission on this application has not yet
oeeO announced"