The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-04-08

FATE JoTrvs-THURSD
perience where line has been al
lowed more than it's local rate on pas
| senger traffic.
Better Facilities.
Mr.. Black gave some testimony
about the advance in passenger facili-
| ties provided by the railroads in the
last few years, starting with wooden
underframe open platform cars, which
were the best that any line offered
The first Improvement, the witness
said, was the vestibule platform,
which insured safe passage from one
car to another and added to safety
or transportation in other ways. The
next step was the steel underframe;
the final step, the all-steel cars. 1t
is within my memory when candles
were used for lighting coaches and
chalr cars. These were Supplanted by
OIL lamps, then Pintsch gas, and final
ly electricity. Modern toilets, wash
rooms, sanitary water coolers and va
r1ouS other devices which add to the
comfort of the travelling public were
installed from time to time, all of
winch has in measure increased the
cost OF transporting passengers. Heav-
Ter rail and bridges necessary to carry
heavier equipment and motive power
have also been provided from time to
time, which has in turn added to the
transportation cost
To-day the American public can
travel with far greater comfort than
any nation On the face of the earth.
In making this statement / am speak
ing from personal experience. There
is no place in Great Britain or on the
continent of Europe where the coach
passengers are furnished the facilities
for comfort and convenience that are
furnished by the western roads, and
think L am also safe in saying that
the western roads are far ahead of
tnelr neigh bOrS in the east in this re-
spect."
In his direct testimony, Mr.. Black
answered the retort often made to
railroads seeking rate advances that
all classes of business are in the same
boat with the carriers, so far as the in
creased cost of living is concerned.
MI. Black said that the general retort
is not well taken, because other classes
OF business are permitted to fix their
own prices on their. comm ODDITIES or
service, and make their own rules and
regulations for operation; while the
price of the railway ipdustry's only
prod services fixed by the fed
eral or state government, and the rules
and regulations for railway operation
are under governmental control.
when the government and the
several states took over the complete
control and regulation of railroad rates.
they at the same tirre assumed the
profound obligation to protect them
against conf1scation, for this is the
only power which stands between
them and ruin Mr.. Black said. ITO
refuse them adequate rates is like ty-
ing giant bull.to the trunk of a tree
and leaving him without food or
water
Peabody Was Problem.
When James Peabody, Santa Fe
statistician, left the witness stand late
Wednesday after testifying for two
days in the passenger rate case, mem
bers of the public utilities commission
breathed a sigh of relief In his two
days before the commission, Peabody
not only s1detracked the commission
as to scientific methods of railroad
formula making, but he chased it to |
the timber on court decisions.
the sacred formula and argued that
the method was infallible. For an
hour the commission tried to force
from the witness an admission that
interstate business between Kansas
points and Kansas City, Mo-, should be |
credited as state business in Kansas
THAT would be true except that we |
DO not charge any of the expense to |
the Kansas business" said Peabody
But If you credited every passenger
from Kansas to Kansas City, wouldn't |
that change the showing in your
formula?" asked Chairman Bristow.
NO, SIT, Sei1Q the witness. 'CharE- |
ing out the terminal cost at Kansas |
City, and charging the unit cost of |
haul in Kansas, 1 would say that it
wouldn't make much if any change"
Travel i'm Europe.
Asked by Chairman Bristow con-
corning the adoption by the railroads
of passenger classification rates, Black
said the American travelling public
would rebel.
IF the railroads dared to give such
service as is given as third class in
Europe, the people of this country
would rebel" said Black. What is
more, every railroad would be contin-
ual1y before some court, board or
commission for violating sanitation
laws. Why, third class trip in Eu-
rope is little better than a trip in a
stock car"
Then Bristow asked if the European
first class service was not equal to the
service with lower rates
Certainly not" exploded Black
With show of indignation. "A COM
partment for night in Europe casts
a little more than SIS. The same SER
vice in this country, only much bet
ter. is Sc
THE WEATHER RECORD.