Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1933-11-02
A Little Journey to the Home of
IneMciency-AmOng the Railroads
BY j. A. WYE

Living in California for the past
four years and now being in Mime
sofa, | was interested in passenger
rates back to the Southwest. Rail-
roads are important functions in our
economic life. Go any direction you
will and eventually you will cross a
railroad. They are everywhere doing
a service that is almost indispensable.
Their management has been looked
upon as almost faultless with an at
tainment reaching the peak of effici-
ency. Now the railroads are in the
dumps" They have lost traffic, both
passenger and freight, to near the
lay ones troubles at the door of some
one else. And so the railroads instead
of gazing into the loOkingglass to find
the cause of part of their troubles
have charged the automobiles and the
trucks with being their arch enemies.
| | know something about the work
ings of railroads from the viewpoint
of the high officials, having been priv
ileged to enjoy the acquaintance of
some of their presidents, vice presi-
dents and general managers. 1t is
not all fun running a railroad, neither
are outside appearances a criterion of
what is going on inside. Many things
we believe of railroads are fanciful,
not real.
Let it be said here, that the general
folder of transcontinental line is a
remarkable budget of concise informa-
ton about the railroad and its serv-
ice. If you will read one of these
folders thoughtfully, you will have
more information respecting the rail-
road than most of the officials and
other employees.
Distance cuts some figure in rate
making not all. Many times a round
about way over a much longer dis
lance costs you no more than a direct
shorter route. There is little equity
in rate making. The principal object
being to charge all the traffic will
bear and get the business for "our
line"
Going into a station on the 500
Line, inquiry was made of the pas
senger fare to Los Angeles. The agent
went to his desk, pulled out pile of
many rate sheets and after fumbling
over the entire lot determined that he
could quote no rate to Los Angeles,
and, of course, could sell no ticket
through using his or any other line
as part of the service. l had been
| roadipo q Groat Mort horn foldor opd
knew that there was a rate from the
Twin Cities to the Pacific Northwest
of $3.50, but did not know about
stop-over privileges, if any, time limit,
etc. l had thought that this rate
might be used as a basis of a through
rate, adding, of course, the usual diff
ferential because of the extra length
of the northern route. The. agent had
never heard of this rate. He excused
himself for lack of information on a
Los Angeles rate by saying that he
had mo calls for such rate"
l went into a Great Northern sta
tion and found that that agent knew
of the existence of the special rate to
the Pacific coast, but little more. He
could sell no ticket to Los Angeles,
nor could he quote rate. Then 1
tried Milwaukee agent with equally
disappointing results. He could sell
no ticket nor quote a rate to Los An
geles. AS last resort inquiry was
made at a Milwaukee station on the
main transcOntinental line where all
trains stop, with no better success so
far as obtaining exact information
about rates and service to Los An
geles.
Now what does this all mean? 1t
looks very much as though the rail-
road management was paralyzed in
thought and action and was almost
hOpelessly inert. Purchasers want