The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-07-12
A DEAL IN CENTRAL PASSES.
Serious Charges Against the Weekly
PraEE AaaociatLon- SECRETARY.

Serious Charges Against the Weekly
Press Association Secretary.
Quite a sensation in railroad and news
paper circles has developed within the
last few days. Il is in connection with
the annual meeting Of the Georgia Week
ly Press Association. which began yestor-
day at Brunswick, and involves Sccre-
tary Charles ID. Barker, Of the associa-
tion, in very serious manner.
Secretary Barker is charged by General
Passenger Agent J. G. Halle, of the Cen
traI railroad, with selling passes
furnished him for the use of
members Of the association attending
the annual meeting, and he thinks
that the facts in his possession
sustain the charge. Unless Secretary
Barker can explain the circumstances the
situation looks very unpleasant for him.
To say the least there appears TO nave
been a serious violation of official cOur-
tesy extended TO the press association
and one which it will hasten 10 clear itself
of with the utmost dispatch
a TIME HONORED CUSTOM.
It is the custom of the secretary Of the
Weekly Press Association TO furnish the
passenger departments of the various
railroads of the state<with list Of the
members of the association who desire
passes TO enable them TO attend the meet
ings Of the association. The railroads
have always furnished these passes readi-
ly as courtesy to the weekly press OF
the state.
Sometime last month Secretary Barker,
who edits the Atlanta Star, furnished
General Passenger Agent Halle a list of
50 names of editors who wished passes
over the Central railroad to attend the
meeting Of the association which was to
have been held in Brunswick on July 4.
The date Of the meeting was afterwards
postponed to July II. The passes were
furnished in time to allow the secretary
to distribute them to the members before
the time came for them to leave home.
Each pass was made out in the
name of the person for whom
it was intended and limited to a certain
date, allowing sufficient time for return
after the meeting.
SUSPICION OF WRONG.
Mr. Halle will not say how he came to
suspect that something was wrong, but
it is understood that he was given a hint
privately to look out for crooked work. Any
way, he started a detective out and nOti-
fed the conductors to look out for the edi-
torial passes. In the meanwhile, the date
of the meeting had been postponed to
July IL, One of the passes was taken up
from a party who had no right to it, and
several others were located in the hands
of parties who claim to have
purchased theirs. Mr.. Halle pur-
chased every pass he could find.
He Immediately wrote to every editor
whose name was upon the passes secured
in this manner, asking how it was that
the passes came to be upon the market.
Immediate replies were received, stating
that the passes had never been received.
A circular letter was also addressed to
all the members of the association stating
some of the circumstances of the case and
asking if they had received their passes
and if they intended using them. If not,
they were requested to return them. Sew
eral editors replied, enclosing their passes,
saying they did not intend to attend the
meeting
FACED HIM WITH THE PASSES.
Mr.. Halle called upon Mr. Barker in
Atlanta, with the passes which had been
purchased from private parties and de-
manded that he be reimbur sed for the
money expended for them. 1t was stated
at the Central railroad passenger office
yesterday that MIR, Barker complied with
the request. What explanation he gave
of the affair was not stated.
Thinking that the courtesy extended
by the railroad mad been abused in an
outrageous mann en- General Passenger
Agent Halle wrote Editor j. NJ. Ander-
son, of CovingtOn, treasurer of the assO-
citation full statement of the matter,
and requested him to bring it before the
association. The matter was Immediately
taken notice of by the officers and
Passenger Agent Halle was
requested to be present at the
meeting. Mr.. Halle left the city yester-
day morning for Brunswick to attend the
meeting, and carried with him all
the evidence which he had accumulated
as to the improper disposition of the
passes.
The matter viii make very interesting
discussion for the meeting.
The Association can be relied upon,
however, to take every step necessary to
clear itself Of any completely in the trans
action and to place the blame where it
properly belongs.