The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-12-30
MERCHANTS FIGHTING PULLMAN SURCHARGE
Traffic Association To Join In Ap-
 peal To Congress For Relief

Birmingham merchants have joined in the fight that has been waged for some time for the abolition of rail- road surchargo upon Pullman tickets, according to C. E. Jones, secretary of the Birmlngham Traffic assoeia tion, who said Saturday that he would ask the directors of his or ganization to adopt resolutions urg- ing the rassage of the bill before Congress to discontinue this practice.
 Among the local firms that have requested action by the traffic asso- citation in this matter are Loveman, Joseph &, Loeb, Louis Pizitz, Louis Saks, Caheen Bros Burger-Phillips company and Steele-Smith company.
 MT. Jones, in discussing the sub ject. said:
 Passenger rates were increased June %, 1918, by the director gen eral of railroads, and again ad- vanced August 26, 1920. In 1920, in addition to the increase in the rate of fare, a surcharge of 50 per cent of the regular Pullman fare was added, which was in the nature of war measure and discriminatory in character. The man or woman who rides in a Pullman car not only un- der the present charge pays full Pullman fare in addition to the regu- lar passenger rate per mile, but a
 
 regular Pullman fare, established as c war measure to increase the revenue of the railroads. This sur charge has never been reduced since 1920 and is now excessive. It is discriminatory in that it places upon a certain class of passenger travel an negotiable charge, or rather 1t is based upon the principles of charg- ing all the traffic will bear, which inla ha d. ed as being unlawful and unreason- able.
 "The fundamental economic fallacy underlying the whole proposition is the permission of a surcharge, other- wise unlawful because it is discrimi- natory and unreasonable, to increase the revenue of the carriers, which was required during the depression period, but the revenue even if need ed at this time should not be se- cured under the present discrimina- tory method,
 This surcharge is probably hurt ing the south and west more than the north, because the density of population in the north and central west does not require such long business trip, but in the south the situation is entirely different. This revenue. which accrues to the car riers account of the assessment of tEis Pullman surcharge, could doubt less be recouped by the increase in travel. whicsh would follow its abolition or it's material reduction. and the diversion of automobile and water pleasure travel to all rail travel. The excessive high cost of travel today is a serious deterrent to trade, unnecessarily curtailing the number of salesmen on the road and extent and number of trips per year.
 'This question has been before the interstate commerce commission on more than one occasion and a bill has been introduced in Congress to do away with the surcharge by legislatice action. All firms and in- dividuals interested in the elimina- tion of this surcharge by legislative action should write their represen- tatives approving passage of the bill before Congress. Generally speak ing, I do not advocate legislative action on questions of this character, but the relief desired in connection with this particular matter under existing circumstances, evidently must come by legislative action