Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-02-19
rr..d. ON Travellers.

"Citizen," who publishes card in the
issue OF the Dispatch OF February 10th,
has, es would appear, not very carefully
read the bill now pending in the State
Legislature entitled Gan Act TO Prevent
Frauds on Travellers.
This act, while positively prohibiting
the sale OF railroad tickets except by
persons authorized to do so by the rail-
road companies, provides also that az
unused tickets or portions u ncHctS Or
redeemed 6y the rditrOad companies.
This being the case. how is 1t possible
TO "throttle competition y There IS
no competition between the ticket
broker and the railroads that cannot be
stopped by the latter. II is true that 1t
would cost the railroads at the start a
small sum. but in the end the travelling
public would pay it III an hundredfoid.
The railroads in the State OF Virginia
are compelled Ivy competition wifh othT
r0ads outside OF the State to make low
rates for long-hanl passenger traffic, and
in order 10 enable the continuance OF
such low rates il asks that the trading
in their tickets be stopped by law.
AS far as the ticket broker standing be-
tween the railroads and tho people Is
concerned. the idea is absurd. The laws
of the State now in force are the irie
protectors of the people and OF the ran
roads, and the proposed enactment -
ONLY an addition to those laws. That
there have been and are daily misrepre-
sensations made 10y ticket brokers All
over this country goes without saying;
Every traveller is aware OF this, ana
those having dealings with ticket bro crs
rcqUirc guarantee. IL IS not volnu-
tary act Of the broker TO make giaran-
tee his customers require 1t, and the
old traveller requires a cash guarantee IN
many Instances.
In the first paragraph OF the article
signed Citizen 1t is chafged
that the Pennsylvania railroads ennis
saries are invading the State. As this
same Pennsylvania railroad owns line
of railway in the State OF Virginia, how
can that company he styled an invader ?
While it is true the road IN Virginia
owned by the Pennsylvania railroad is
ONLY thirty-four miles long, 1t Is one OF
the most important, giving to the people
OF Richmond and all Eastern and South
eastern Virginia their only rail connec-
ton to the largest markets OF the coun-
try and furnishing a service that Is the
finest in every respect in the whole coun-
try south OF the Potomac and Ono
rivers. After its efforts in the develop
ment of the State by the constant I'M
provement IN its property. and the con
seduent increase of taxation paid INTO
the State Treasury, is 1t not fair and Just
that their claims for protection to their
patrons he granted them. and. as a State
institution. should its claims not be pre-
sented by It's own officials?
Il isa well-established fact, as has been
ascertaincd from those known to be IA
miliar with the methods of what "Citl-
zen" pleases to call Legitimate and
| highly honorable business, ~ that since
/ the advent of the broker or scalpcr the
dishonesty OF railroad employees has IN
creased to an extent hardly realized by
the travelling public, who, by a patron
age given to the broker, or scalper ar,
unwittngly aiding in the continuance 81
/ n fence Tor the resale of tickets thai
have already accomplished the object ion
which sold by the railroad-viz., the
carrying Of one passenger one trip.
All ticket brokers are not dishonest
neither are all railroad employees; but
there would be few Of the latter were
the former not engaged in a business
which, to say the least, is not conducive
to either honesty or morality.
RAILROAD.
Bschm0nd, February Il, 1883.