Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1889-02-02
OCCUPATION GONE
NO MORE COMMISSIONS FOE RAIL
war TICKET AGENTS.

---
Members Of the Fraternity Here Dole
fully Looking Forward to the Passage
Of Chairman Coolsy's Amendments
of the I. s. @. Act.
Among the t~elegraphic news published in
yesterdays edition OF this paper was q
short dispatch from Washington in refer
ence to an opinion passed b ythe Interstate
Commerce Commission on the subject OF
passenger tariffs and rate wars prepared
by Chairman Cooley. The general public
may have read the matter with indifference,
but to certain classes OF railroad men it
bears q serious signi6cance. This 10 con-
tanned 10 the recommendation OF Judge
Cooley that the act beamended 80 as, frst,
to define what shall be considered commu-
tation and excursion tickets; second, topro-
hibit all payment OF commissions on the
sale of all tickets for interstate business,
except by regular agents OF the q riers;
and, third, to provide for speedy and con-
~venient redemption OF unused tickets or
coupons.
Agent McCaig Of the Northern Pacific was
found at his Office yesterday wearing q
rather disconsolate air, and on being asked
the reason OF his evidently depressed con-
Fdition, replied that the occupation Of ticket
agents on all roads was practically gone
and that they would have to look out for
some other and more lucrativefo form OF live
lihood. In explanation Of this lugubrious
statement, he 9 the dispatch containing
the above intelligence, and added:
1.-THE amendments there proposed by
Chairman Cooley to the Interstate Com
merce Act that vent into effect April /,
1887, will knock out the agents and scalp
ers. It takes away the commissions which
we now have from other roads for selling
tickets over their lines and caves US moth
ing for doing so. When | sell a ticket from
here to Chicago, I get a commission from
the road from st. Paul by which the pas-
senger goes. This induces as to distribute
the business equally over all the lines from
St. Paul to Chicago, where otherwise we
would be Indifferent what road a passenger
went by and the best known would get the
bulk of the business. The roads arein favor
OF it az it forms q serious drain on their
earnings from passenger travel and it is to
their benefit in a general way to dispense
WILL L Il om INV ~ ALL OhS 0JotSA 10
wrons. 1t will knock out the scalping
business completely. and that is really an
injustice to the travelling public. The COM
mission business makes the passenger pay
about 25 per cent. more for the trip than
they should, and by the scalping system
the man who buys the unused portion OF a
ticket can travel over the same distance
as the first purchaser oil the whole ticket at
half rate. However, it is q general evil and
is practised by every road in the United
States where there are competing points.
Some Eastern roads notified connecting
lines some years ago that they would o
permit the agents to receive commissions
for tickets sold off the line OF the road, and
the devices OF the cunning travelling pas.
senger agent at once became apparent"
'In what way?"
HE would come into an agency and pick
up q piece of sealing wax or a lead pencil
and saying just whatFve been looking for,'
would throw down a twenty.dollar piece.
OF course. nothing more was said, but the
agent took care to MAKE up for it by the
extra travel he threw to that line. I look
upon this action OF Judge Cooley as the
first gun of the result OF recent. meetings
held some time ago in New York of the
representatives OF European capital and adj
visers OF American Investments with the
XGu6Edl LutbudkCIc VI IL uhn AhSo "a SNS
country making q move to secure larger re-
turns for bond and shareholders in Ameri-
ran roads,"
docs the new apply only to pas
senger business?"
mo, it includes freight business ALSO"
You think there III no doubt that the
act will be amended in the way Judge
Cooley suggests2"
mot the least. The roads are in favor
OF it, and no man in Congress will stand up
in defence Of the scalping business. Every
body knows it works al injustice on the
travelling public, because it admits OF inc
qualities in the fare different individuals
pay for the same transportation. The
present system is entirely against the
spirit of the Interstate Commerce Act,
and l for one will be glad to see the public
treated on q square, honorable basis"
And Mr.. McCaig drew himself up and
assumed q virtuous air that was truly edl-
flying.
"And do you suppose the passage OF
such an amendment will effect the objects
desired and prevent discrimination? 2"
Mr.. McCaig's c~ountenance underwent an
immediate change. With a childlike and
bland smile he oracularly remarked: what
has been will be-"
Another railroad man said he did not be-
lieve it would make a particle of difference
to the agents if the proposed amendment
were enacted into q law. 1t might stop
scalping, but he felt perfectly certain ticket
agents would lose nothing by the depriva-
tion of commission.
"It will all come back to them in one
shape or another. worked in ticket offices
| for twelve years in the East where such a
law is in effect with very stringent pro-
| visions as to the penalties for infringement
| But the agents got the equivalent OF COM
| missions one way or another. There are
more ways than one OF whipping the devil
| round the stump"
Resolutions of Respect.
The following resolutions OF the death
| OF William Hermann, who died, Friday
evening, at Warm Springs, have beer
passed:
Whereas, It has pleased Divine Provi
dence, in the midst OF his heavy Affections
to remove from this earth our beloved
brother and ex.prssident OF the Beethoven
Liederkranz and member OF the Turnve
rein, William Hermann. and,
Whereas, We, who have long known
and loved him in the times OF his prosper
ity and also when the dark cloud CAM
over his life in his closing days, realize thai
in his death one has been taken iron
this earth who was a true man and faith
full to the duties of his life as he fount
them; therefore, be it
Resolved, That in behalf of the Butt
Turnverein, of which he was an IGNORES
member, we tender to the relatives OF tn
Il deceased DUR heartfelt sympathy, though
realizing the poverty OF words to bear cor
ISOLATION to sorrowing hearts in such an ez
tremity; and
Resolved, That a copy OF these resolu
tions be engrossed and forwarded to Geo
Hermann, brother Of the deceased, an
that as q mark OF respect to decease'
friend, they be ordered printed in the BUTT
DAILY MINER.
Il PETER Hess,
i VIM. GuEDELHoFER,