The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1915-07-03
EAIR REae-.aEa nAr-a

FAIR PE5cEESEa RATES.
Our western state Iegisla 1res Nv.
made a hopeless middle OF the raj
-oads' demands for Increased P-.zEaI
ser fares, because legislative bodies
cannot inteIEgeEtiy decide admin.
tratiYe questions. Only investigate.
and study can settle the reasonable
ness or unreasoaableness CT the I'd
vances asked fer. 1t is prcp-T 20
he legislatures TO say that the rail
roads shall be regulated, but expert
must dc the actual regulating.
After perfunctory audiences. the
legislatures of the various states.
without any reliable or accepted Tg
ures, have stified the railroads de
mands in committee or on the floor
Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota,
Nebraska, North and South Dakota
and Michigan have provided regul2t-
ing commissions and the legislatures
themselves have ample powers of IL
vestigation, yet not in a single in
stance have the questions been re-
ferred to a responsible agent.
Indications are that the passenger
business is not bearing its fair share
Of the costs and that the Illinois man
ufacturer is right in asserting that
the shippers have been bearing an
extra burden. Density of population
makes passenger traffic and it fol
lows that the heavier the traffic the
lighter the cost per unit of transpOr-
tation. Illinois, with a population Of
491 per mile of railroad, subscribes
| lower tariffs than eight eastern states
with a population of 1,036 per mile.
The interstate commerce commission
recently allowed the eastern carriers
an increase to z1z cents per mile, and
/ the supreme court Of Pennsylvania.
/ considering a population of 704 per
/ mile, held the 2 cent law confsca-
! tory.
| Figures compiled by the Pennsyl-
vania lines east of Pittsburgh reflect
! the operating results of ali steel
trains, daylight Hmiteds, monumental
/ terminals, and the competitive cOndf
lions of the passenger business. In
1903, Sc per cent Of the dollar earned
! by passenger traffic went to pay pas
senger operating expenses. In 1910
it had swollen to 80 per cent, and in
| in the same period stood steady at 70
! per cent The comparative net earn
ings of the three years follow:
1912 1910 1905
nus .s 5sn9,6sO $s4.715,sa2 SO, 90
Te e7 - 7q4.669 s,162,1Oa 11,OO4,5sl
Net revenue
| per passen-
! mile ........2s cents 12o cents s2.7 cent.
But the rate question has not beer
settled, and our western states are
| confronted with the paradox OF &C
cepting the final decision from the
| federal courts or from the interstate
commerce commission. If the western
roads succeed in establishing the 21z
cents a mile basis on interstate traf
fc, as seems likely from the situa
ton in the east. the question of dis
elimination will be raised immediate
" as a result Of the lower intrastatt
fare. Commercial interests will no
/ tolerate conflicting passenger fares.
The same question was settled b!
he supreme court as regards freigh
charges in the famous Shreveport de
cision. In cases Of discrimination tn,
interstate rate is controlling. So tbs
state legislatures will have accom-
plished nothing except to furnish ali
md comfort to the enemies of stat'
regulation as opposed to federal reg
ulation., Perhaps in doing so the.
are performing public service, if a
unintentional one.-Chicago Tribune
NcE 81 1Q1S