The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-02-06

Petitions Against 1.-THE Pros and Cons
of the Measure.

petition to the legislature asking for the re-
lection of the bill to forbid the sale OF railroad
tickets by other than authorized agents of the
railroad companies, is being circulated in the
city, and is receiving numerous signatures. The
bill provides penalty OF 500 fine and a years
imprisonment for persons selling tickets with
out license from the railroad company whose
tickets he sells.
E. w. Wilder, ticket broker, in talking of the
bill to PosTINTELLIGENCER reporter, said:
"This bill is entitled bill to protect travellers
from fraud, but the brokers claim that anything
designed to prevent competition 10 injurious TO
the people, and that the brokers, being commits
stoned agents of the railroad companies, are a
benefit to the people. We get commission d.
rect from the company just as regular agents do.
We also claim that when a man has bought a
ticket it is his property to do with as he pleases.
recent decision in Minnesota holds that any
ticket is good for any passenger.
1.-THE bill is really a bill to permit fraud on
travellers, because it shuts out competition and
gives the railroad companies full sway in re-
gard to the handling of tickets. The same bill
has been defeated nineteen times in the legisia-
lures of nineteen different states is the East,
but this is its first appearance in Washington.
"The bill provides for the redemption of
tickets by the return of the amount paid, less
the fare for the distance travelled. This seems
quite fair the face of it, but it is not fair
when you look into 1t. A man buys ticket TO
Portland from St Paul over the Canadian
Pacific for $50. He comes as far as Seattle and
sells the ticket to Portland for 81 or IS, which
the broker sells for 81 or S. In this transaction
three parties are benefited-the party that buys
the ticket, the broker and the party that buys ii
of the broker-while the company receives the
fare originally asked for. Should passenger
from ST. Paul come to Seattle and find no broker
here, as represented by the agent selling him the
ticket in the East, and apply TO the agent of the
Northern Pacific, over whose line the ticket WAS
not used, for the redemption of the ticket, he
would be told that he had got the ride for which
he had paid, as the fare to seattle is the same as
10 Portland-$30. Consequently the Northern
Pacific would give him no rebate, while in
reality ii would receive $40 for ride which no
one ever gets.
which was incorporated eleven years ago, has
over 900 members, and is really assisting the
railroad companies. II issues circulars every
six TO ten days announcing change as 10 rebates.
lost and stolen tickets and changes in rates.
The dissemination of this information in regard
to rates and lost and stolen tickets is really
protection to the railroads.
In reply 70 ME. Wiiders statements, A. ID.
Charlton, assistant general passenger agent of
the public from buying tickets on which they
can't get ride. Through tickets are not trans
ferahle, because they are sold at low rates, and
we don't propose to have man buy ticket to
ST Paul, ride TO Ellensburg, taking out $500
worth, then sell 1t again, another man ride 10
spokane and repeat the operation. BY so doing,
man gets short ride AT the through rate A
man who sells these tickets is knowingly COM
uniting fraud on the railroad, Tor they read,
Not transferable, and good only for the person
whose name is signed on them.
"If, as the brokers claim, they have authority
to sell tickets, they have no cause to object, for
after the passage of the bill they go on sell
ing tickets as before, but they must show their
authority plainly in their Offices, ard can no
longer buy and sell partly used tickets. The
Northern Pacific railroad, In order to promote
the settlement of the country, sells tickets from
the East at the same rate to Portland as TO Spo-
kane. When man buys one of these tickets he
may say I'm take ticket far as / can go for
the money Then he comes TO Spokane, sells
the rest OF his ticket 10 a seal per, and defrauds
law is in force in majority of the Eastern