The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1917-11-10
The Passenger War Tax

Omaho, Nebr., Nov. 6, 1917
To the Editor:
The new war taxes on passenger
tickets, pullman tickets and freight
shipments viii mean a large amount
of extra accounting work for the tic
ket agents of the Union Pacific Sys-
TEN.
According to the records of the
Union Pacific for the calendar year
1915, there were 8,019,647 revenue
passengers carried who paid all told
for their transportation 19,781, 230.
On this basis an eight per cent, tax
which will have to be collected by the
railroad and turned over to the gov
eminent, will amount to 81 ,582, 49S,
or an average of 1910 per passenger.
The total revenue collected by the
Union Pacific for freight during the
calendar year 1916 was S81, 415,858.
This covers both carload and less than
| carload traffic. The three per cent,
tax which is to be collected by the
| railroads and turned over to the gov
eminent on this basis would amount
to S2,442.475.
This viii mean that something be-
tween ten or twelve million seperate
! items will have to be taken care of
by UnionPacific employees in collect
ing this government tax, which on the
| basis of passenger and freight bust
ness during the year 1916 will
amount to $4,024,973 to passengers
and shippers.
I dropped into store in one of the
cities out near the Rocky Mountains
some days ago. The clerk showed
| me pair of shoes marked $500. At
ter an examination, l said, 81 can
buy those same shoes in Omaha for
$500.
Sure you cam said the clerk, "but
look at the big freight rate we have
to pay to get them out here
When 1 got back to the office I
straightaway hunted up G. J.. Lane,
General Freight Agent of the Union
Pacific Railroad by the way is
walking encyclopedia on railroad
rates, and here is what I learned in
his own words:
Trying to make the railroad the
goat, Ell? Well I'm used to that I've
heard those kind of stories ever since
| began raiIrOading- and that's been
long time. Let's see though Shoes
in this market come largely from st.
Louis and Boston. Now the freight
| rate on a pair of shoes from Boston
| to Omaha, half way across the CONT
nent, is 2-7 cents, from st. Louis to
Omaha the freight rate is 1.2 cents
| TOT PAIR OF SnOeS.
''Not much high cost of living to
that is there? And remember the
| railroad guarantees the safe shin
ment of those shoes at that rate. If
| they are lost the railroad makes good.
ever send a registered letter OF
package by mail? Well just try it and
/ see how much extra Uncle Sam charg-
es for guaranteeing safe shipment u
Before I finished talking to Mr..
| Lane, I found that in the city near
| the mountains, the rate on shoes from
| Boston was just 2.1 cents higher pei
| pair than from Boston to Omaha and
it was just two cents higher per pair
from st. Louis, and that clerk tried
to make me believe the freight rates
! accounted for $500 difference in
| price.
Upon further inquiry learned that
the freight rate on a suit of clothes
"a suit of clothes will weigh about
three pounds-is "a cents from Chi
cago to Omaha, and eight cents from
| Chicago to Ogden. The rate is g
cents from st. Louis to Omaha and
IA cents from st. Louis to Ogden.
From New York to Omaha the
freight is Al cents and from New
York to Ogden it is 9.8 cents. From
Philadelphia to Omaha the rate is
/
| Ogden it is 10 cents.
It will take about a half a dozen
ordinary felt hats to weigh three
pounds, which take the same freight
rate as mems clothing. Thus it will
be seen that the freight charges on
the winter hat, which you recently
purchased, amounted to about two
thirds of a cent, if it was a Phila-
delphia hat, and if you purchased it
in Omaha, and to one and two-thirds
cents if you bought your Philadelphia
hat in Ogden.
If you buy Boston shoes in Ogden,
you pay to the railroad for carrying
them something like 5000 miles,
across the mountain ranges, SIS cents
per pair. st. Louis shoes in Ogden
carry a freight rate of 40 cents.
Rates at intermediate points are in
proportion.
Lane is right, there is no high cost
of living in these figures.
Now what does Uncle Sam charge
for registering mail-that is for guar
anteeing safe delivery? Ten cents OF
1st class mail. if the value is under
$50, in addition to the reular 3-cent
stamp. The government does not
guarantee second class mail at all
On parcel post packages, 8 cents for z
valuation of $500 five cents exfrz