The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-06-01
IN RAILWAY CIRCLES.
The Compliment Paid Mr.. Parker
by Union Pacific Clerks.
MIR. ECCLEs EXPECTED TODAY
One of the Beautiful Inconsistencies of the
Interstate Commerce Law-The Central
Pacific Snow Sheds

Although Mr.. Parker's connection with
the Union Pacific road in this city does not
cease until July 1st, it is understood that
his active duties closed last evening, and
that Mr.. Ecclcs is now general freight
and passenger agent of the mountain divi-
sion, Notwithstanding the fact that he has
not yet appeared upon the scene. Yester-
Gay, the clerks in the Union Pacific Office
were engaged in a conspiracy, and the
result WAS that when Mr.. Parker came to
his Office IL the afternoon, he found upon
his desk handsome electro-plated water
set, and accompanying it was the follow
ing letter:
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, June l. 1890.
J. V Parker, Esq, Assistant Freight and Pas
Senger Agent.
DEAR SR:-Your office employees deeply re-
gret your departure from their midst.
Please accept Inc accompanying water ser
vice as mark of their esteem and affection.
Our best wishes so with you.
II. O. WILSON,
j. a. REEVES
lMoGENE WILLIAMS,
L. II. PLAISrED,
HARRY CLARK,
j. T. SPBNCER,
G. ii. CROW,
VIRGINIA q. HALL.
q. W. CUSHING,
OLAF THOMASSEN,
JNo. II. DEWEY, Jr.
DANIEL >. SPENCER,
w. II. FARNSwoRTH,
a. w. GAME,
Z. B. SHELLY.
It had been arranged that Chief Clerk
Wilson, Of the freight department, should
make the presentation speech, but his nerve
failed him at critical moment, and the let
ter was read irstead.It need not be said that
Mr.. Parker appreciated this mark of re-
spectiupon the part Of the boys, aud as
socn as he recovered from his surprise he
briefly thanked therl-nore than that he
could not 90.
Mr.. Eccies is expected to arrive to-day.
The Perplex.ties of tie Interstate Law.
The workings of the interstate com
merce law develop numerous perplexities
and inconsistencies which puzzle railway
men greatly. For example, says the Rat
Gody Age, the law requires three days pub
lie notice of proposed reduction in rates.
A road on the Pacific coast, for example,
makes sharp reduction and notifies its
principal connection on the east The lat
ter before taking advantage of this reduc-
ton has to call together his competitors
and decide what course they will pursue,
thus occupying two or three days before
they are ready to make their three DAYS
announcement. The lines next on the east
have to go through similar procedure,
and SO on to the Atlantic. Meantime no
no ticket agent whose line has not pursued
the formal course and given the required
notice dareS to sell ticket through to the
Pacific coast based on the reduced rate. and
he has to exact the full tariff, although he
knows that his road will not be required to
pay over TO its western connections the
amount obtained in excess of the new rate
The ticket seller, therefore, collects from
the passenger money which his road is not
entitled to and which does not belong to his
company, and so the passenger is over
charged and prevented from taking advant-
age of reduction which has already gone
into effect. The remedy for this absurd
state of things would be to amend the law,
or so construe it as to make notification of
reduction by one road recognized as suffi
Gent notice for the sale of its tickets by all
connections at the reduced rates. and il
seems strange that the interstate COM
merce commission has not already recog-
nized the incongruities of the present state
of things and applied the remedy.