Evening Republican, Volume 23, Number 209, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 August 1920 — RAIL RATES IN STATE THE SAME [ARTICLE]

RAIL RATES IN STATE THE SAME

IT IS ONLY WHEN PASSENGERS CROSS STATE LINE THAT NEW RATE APPLIES. . ... t * _ An interesting phase of the in- 1 crease in railroad passenger rates which went into effect in the country at 12 o’clock Wednesday night, is presented. Of course those who understood the new order of the Interstate Commerce Commission knew of the situation but the general public had not been aware of it. There has been no increase in rates in any part of Indiana. If you are traveling to some point in this state, no matter how remote it may be, you pay the same fare today as you paid before the new rates took effect, but*if you are riding out of the state then it is a different proposition. If you go to the Monon station, for instance and buy a ticket to Chicago you will pay for it $2.84, instead of $2.37, which was the old rate. If you buy a through ticket to Chicago you pay for it at the rate of 3.6 cents a mile, but if you buy a ticket to Hammond and take the surface-cars from that city on into Chicago you will pay the old rate to Hammond, 3 cents a mile. The exception that is made ■of tickets for interstate transportation arises from the fact that there is a law in Indiana that limite the rate of railroad passenger fares to 3 cents a mile. The state of Ohio, Michigan, Illinois and West Virginia have similar statutes. In those states as well as in Indiaria, there will be no increase in rates for travel unless you purchase a ticket outside of the state. There are pending in all of these state applications to their public service commission asking them to clear the way for increased intrastate rates. The question whether a state can be compelled to increase rates within its borders to the level of the interstate rate, is one about which there is a sharp conflict of opinion in legal circles. It may take a decision of the United States supreme court to settle it.