The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1917-02-09
RAILROADS
A BRANDON
FARE FIGHT
Feel Attempt To Get
Higher Rate This
Year Useless
WILL NOT APPEAL
TO LEGISLATURE
Increase of Freight
Earnings Eliminates
Poverty Plea


(stg1 Correspondent Dcfycsf Ts-eO
LANSING. Mich. FEB. s.-There
will be no biz battle IN the present
legislative session over the matter
OF railroad rates. IL the word now
had from railroad sources In the
1915 legislature the effort OF the
roads TO be allowed 10 charge sl-s
cents per mile for passenger fares,
instead OF the present Accent fares.
precip.tSted a night that took up
most % the session. II had been ex
pected ever since that the roads.
narrowly defeated two years ago.
would renew their effort this year.
The contention OF the railroads
II that the passenger departments
should 30 aide TO show a profit and
should be considered separately
from the fright departments in the
matter o. earnings The effort 20
have them 90 considered was a fail
urc. IN part az least. AT the last
session since then freight earnings
OF fhe railroads have increased so
tremendously that the roads DO not
feel that their plea for more money
from their passenger trsfnc would
be listened TO.
W W walker. general manager
OF the Duluth. South Shore 4 A.
iantic railroad. Henry 3. L<Gygrd
OF the Michigan Central. and other
prominent railroad men have been
IN I.snsing during the past few days
and their presence has aroused N.
quirieS as 20 whether or not another
effort would me made 10 raise the
passenger rates BY law Mr. Walker
was One OF the most prominent tx
urss in the rate battle two years
ego
Recently me south shore obtain.
I'd me verdict from ths special FED
, erai master who heard the evidence
and arguments 10 thc rate ease The
decision upholds the RICH, "a the
road 20 collect three cents . mile
for passenger trafar ON - lines in
the upper peninsula
A bBl might DO put in al thi-
Session asking AGAIN for 9l-2-csnt
/ per mile rate. said Mr. walker.
bur my road u nos % interested
nov We might not even ~ inter.
esied tn the passags Of 3-cent fare
Law. a. Ne arr entitled go charge
that nov and will continue 20 b. so
entitled unless he special 20 charge
that nov and will continue 10 De so
entitled unless the special masters
decision in our case - reversed
we are glad 10 have the case
reached decision. for y has COS; us
lot of money 20 nght much
more Than the sos 600 II cost the
I state
The other roads pay AK again
for i-3-ceut fare rate. but II they
do SO. the move will b. raads prin.
cipslly IA a matter % strategy. not
not becuse they expect 20 have IL
granted AZ fhis Tine Freight earn
lngs have been such in the big bust.
ness OF the past two years "a TO
make many people think that the
roads are making barrels Of money
However. 40 on i kicking over
the money that automobile manu-
facturers and other concerns are
making They are not held down
TO s per cent annual earnings on
their capitalization. a. Ee are An
automobile concern OF any other
that isn't making money can 20 Out
Of business N n wants 20. A rail-.
road cam go out Of business It
must continue N operate whether Il
~ making or losing money. and Il
isn't allowed 10 make over per
cent The result 10 that you can't
capitalize new lines any more and
none are built.
The freight congestion ~ the
past few months IL largely because
- the way the roads arr limited In
their earnings They can't handle
peak loads That has been demon
strzted. They haven't the cars and
the equipment 20 DO I, and they
cant make enough money 20 have
cash with which, 70 buy the add
tional equipment needed 20 meet
rush condfilors
But there isn't much use ~ the
roads askinf ror anything In the
line o. iegislAtion unless everybody
knows business r. poor. 80 don't
exec that there vii be- much DO.
ine among that line 10 this l~gisla
| tur.