Extra Fares

First Class--fast, luxuriously equipped extra-fare "limiteds." Second Class--standard Pullmans on slower trains. Third Class--day coaches. Last week the Interstate Commerce Commission, overlord of railroad management, decided to assay the democracy of first class U. S. transportation. Though nobody had complained of a 40-year practice, the Commission ordered an investigation into the extra fares required for transportation on some carriers' best trains. Section IV of the Transportation Act specifies that through fares must not exceed the aggregate of the intermediate fares between any two points. The I. C. Commissioners suspected that certain roads charged through passengers extra fares on "limited" trains, made no such charge for way passengers on the same trains, thereby throwing out of kilter the delicately balanced passenger tariffs, violating the law.

From extra fares, U. S. railroads derive an additional revenue of approximately $10,000,000 per year. Their stout claim, supported by heavy advance sale of "limited" tickets, is that the traveling public gladly pays the extra fare in return for superior accommodations, extra speed. Some famed limited trains, their routes, their times, their extra fares: New York Central. 20th Century Limited (and three similar trains), New York & Chicago in 20 hr.--$9.60. Southwestern Limited, New York & St. Louis, 24 hr.--$3.60.

Pennsylvania. Broadway Limited (and two similar trains), New York & Chicago, 20 hr.--$9.60. The American, New York & St. Louis, 24 hr.--$4.60. Congressional Limited, New York & Washington 4 2/3 hr. -- $1. Southern. Crescent Limited, New York & New Orleans, 36 hr.--$5. Illinois Central. Panama Limited, Chicago & New Orleans, 21 hr.--$5. Union Pacific. Overland Limited, Chicago & San Francisco, 58 hr.--$10. Santa Fe. The Chief, Chicago & Los Angeles, 58 hr.--$10. Southern Pacific. Cascade Limited, San Francisco & Portland, 27 3/4 hr.--$3. No extra fare is charged on the best trains operated by the Atlantic Coast Line or the Seaboard Air Line into Florida. Nor do the northern transcontinentals apply an extra fare for travel on their limited trains. Most famed of these, all making the Chicago-Seattle run in 63 hours, are the Great Northern's Empire Builder, the Northern Pacific's North Coast Limited, the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific's Olympian.