tions of charges in Europe have increased travel
enormously, they would have a proportionate effect in America
and a corresponding advantage in American railroad economy.
It is a somewhat significant fact that second-class trains at
reduced rates have been extremely successful in Europe and
not at all so in America. Other things being equal, the
American public would be glad to have its travel at lower
fares; but it cares more for comfort and speed, and for being
able to travel at its own times, than for a slight difference
in charge. The assumption so frequently made, that a
reduction in fares would cause an enormous increase in travel
in this country, is for the most part a pure assumption, not
borne out by the facts."

The great increase in business which has everywhere followed reductions
in postage rates, telegraph rates and street-car fares, as well as
railroad rates, sufficiently refutes the assertion that it is not
certain that low rates would be followed by greatly increased travel. If
the second class has not been as successful here as in Europe this is
solely due to the fact that the American railroad companies have
systematically discouraged second-class travel by forcing passengers
into filthy and over-crowded cars. The statement that increased travel
would not be so economical to handle in America as in Europe scarcely
needs a reply. If, as Prof. Hadley says, the American public demand more
frequent trains than the people of Europe, and if these frequent trains
are not at present profitable to our railroad companies, it would seem
to be plainly to their interest to hold out every inducement to the
public to increase travel and thus fill their trains.

Mr. Hadley does not aid his argument when, referring to the Hungarian
zone system, he says: "The importance of the zone system in Austria and
in Hungary lies in the fact that its adoption was accompanied by a great
reduction in rates. The unit rate for slow, third-class trains, which
had previously been nearly a cent and a half a mile, was reduced to less
than one cent.... The use of railroads under the new system, though
vastly greater than it was before, is vastly less than that of a
well-managed American road at American rates." Mr. Hadley inadvertently
presents here one of the very best reasons why our passenger rates
should be reduced.

The fact is, railroad men are opposed, and a