Daily Republican., 1884-03-26
TICKET SCALPlNG.
The DemOrallzinE Effect On Rail.
road Employees Of This q uest1On
able business.

From the Philadelphia Press.
The developments In the recent trials rail-
way conductors in Philadelph and elsewhere
for enlightenment bring 10 light new feature
In the so-calleI business of ticket scalping, and
explain very clearly one OF the principal rea-
sons Tor the crusade which Is b ing waged by
the raj road compani' against the gentry
WHOSE boast is that they can discount the
standard rates Of the companies. There was
for long time an element ofmystery IN this
peculiar traffic. which was partially dispi lied
when the methods of the tcalpers were venti-
lated in the courts and by the clear expOsitions
OF railway officers on the subject.
1t Is apparent that the scalper derives some
of his support from some Of the various links
large and small, of the longer lines between
distant points. AS matter of course, rates
by the various lines between in portant centres
must be uniform, and the longer lines, by
reason of their greater length and time of
transit could not, and very properly SO, hope
o obtain awe nsiderable proportion of the
scalper, who buys for the int ndi traveller
who ia Is into his hands regular ticket by one
of the longer route , sells II to him for dollar
or so less than 1t cost, collect ne bonus from
several of the short lines composing this ronle
as reward for dive ting the traveller from
more direct lines, and pocketinga fair profit
on the transaction, although the passenger
may not be 50 fortunate, AS the greater length
of the time consumed on the trip, and conse-
quent increase in cost of meals aud sleeping
accommodations may more than cover the
cl-r has no compen sation for his losl time.
But this and other op rAtions which the
scalpcr Is wont TO consider as 'legitlmatc, y
would scared explain the magnitude which
his profits must assume to maintain HIM in the
traffic. and these late trials furD sh the infOr-
nation ece.sary 10 complete 50 utlon OF IN"
mystery. The testimony showed that the rail :
way EMPLOYEES retained the tickets collected
from PAST myers and sold them at nominal
rates TO the seal ers who re,Old them to tray
elers at "a discount from standard rates, tn
companies thus carrying two or more passcn-
gers on the sa Z ticket,
These disclosures emphasize with painful
clcarness the moral character OF the scalpinx
enterprise. FIR years past it has been the aim
of IA ilrOad companies to SO adju their rules
and regulations as to relieve conductors from
even the slightest imputaton of ishoncsty.
Whether this has been fro" motives of self
interest or not, is immatrrial to the point at
issue. The result has been apparent in the
esprit du corps and the morale ftheir employ
ces. The feeling that, In view of the safe
guards thrown around them, they were above
suspicion, has wrought a remark able change
in this class of employees, and has made the
position Of railway conductor highly honor
able, rs it is a responsible and eXacting, call
ing. But Just as This condition Of things has
been so happily contaminated, anew element
Of evil arises, and II Is not strange that
amongst such host OF employees some should
be found willing to listen to the temPtings. of
the sCalper, and become eventually his willing
In the cause of morality, and in behalf of an
important and deserving class of railway EN-
plOvecs, We can cordially endorse thr efforts of
the transportation lines to utterly abolish thi,
traffic, which has been inisdcmeanor in this
State, and we earnestly hope that the various
States will speedily takecOgnizancc of the grow
ing evil and. by statute similar To our own, put
the scalpcr under the ban Of the law and COM
pei railroad companies to redeem Tor cash,
from Passengers, their unused or partially
used tickets. In the meantime the traveller
will do well to consider whether he can con-
srieniously aid the scalper or incur the risk Of
riding ON a stolen ticket.