Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-05-18
HOW ONE CAN TRAVEL CHEAP
The Interstate Commerce Commits
sion Down on Them.
WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT TT.


or more popularity. Of a ticket "scalper,"
becaase he can get it cheaper. He can. In
fact get 1t very much cheaper, and the bust
ness is now conducted in such a way that
there is no particular lack of responsibility.
The trade in railroad tickets Is a growing
one, and 1t is engaged In by a very large
number of agents in all of the great cities.
Statistics gathered by the interstate COM
merce commission and published in the an
nual report as far back as 1890 show that
the expenses Of ticket scalpers for merely
rental and clerk hire in Chicago. New York.
Cincinnati and Kansas City amounted in
the previous year to nearly sl35.0O0.
In this city there are a dozen or so bro.
kers' offices, almost all Of them doing
thriving business. They are on the north
side OF the avenue. mostly between 9th and
1-2 streets. Two or three Offices are close
to 9th street. toward eth. These offices for
the most part consist of a desk and a rail-
ing in a store room devoted to some
other purpose. The signs outside are usu-
ally blue, with white lettering, an indica-
ton almost as general as the pawnbrokers
three balls.
.1-i.-sE Cheap Tickets.
The tickets most commonly sold by scalp
ers'' from this city are to New York or in
York is $3.50, and the broker will send you
there for $3.50. with a regular ticket, as
good as the one you would get at the rail-
road Office. That is. he will give you a good
one II you watch him. In this business az
In others. there are dealers and dealers.
There are ticket brokers on the avenue who
would not sell ticket which had run out
or was for any reason void. There are
others whom 1t would be as well to watch
Ordinarily the '.scalper" will be able to
provide you with the return half of a round
trip ticket from New York, but should he
be out Of these tickets he will still make you
the rate II you are willing to invest $l05o
and take rebate Of s. payable in New
York at the office of his correspondent. You
buy a round-trip ticket to New York. for
which you pay SO. and you pay the agent
here 80 cents to give you an order on his
correspondent in New York. The New York
correspondent buys the unused half OF your
ticket at s., and you have saved 81 on your
fare. Had you cared to risk II, you might
have ignored the agent in this city, hunted
up scalper on Broadway in New York and
sold him your ticket, probably for S. thus
saving 30 cents. or one agents commission.
1t should be said, also. that the railroad
company would pay you $3.50 for your re-
turn coupon in New York IT, for any reason,
you had bought a round-trip ticket and did
not wish TO return.
If you are going to Chicago and want to
buy your ticket in the regular way 1t will
cost ST.. The ticket broker has a regular
rate of Sl4.50, which he is almost always
ready to offer. and when luck runs his way
in the shape of return tickets which he carr
buy cheap he will do little better than
that. He has, also, usual second-class
rate of s13 to Chicago, which Is 81 cheaper
than the regular fare. The brokers' rate to
Memphis. Tenn. is SO. 81 cheaper than the
regular rate. These are examples of the
average cut. The broker win send you. In
some way or another. to almost any place
to which you want to go. II he can do no
better. he will farm out a mileage ticket to
you at 1-2 cents mile.
In times of peace, as II were, the dozen or
so broker offices referred to make up the
total of the '.scalping'' business in this city.
but at the times OF inausurations, or when
there is any particular ceremony or celebra-
ton here. the offices spring up like mush-
rooms all along the avenue and everywhere
In the vicinity of the railroad offices. Where
they come from or where they disappear TO
nobody knows. and nobody cares for that
matter.
1t is an interesting fact that in New York
there are no scalpers doing business In the
Immediate vicinity of the Grand Central
depot The land is owned by the Wander
bilts. who refuse to rent for such purposes.
In Canada license is required of all agents
selling tickets, and the scalping traffic is
thus suppressed, no licenses being granted
except TO regularly authorized agents of
railroad companies.
Down on the Scalper.
Although the scalpers traffic has a simple
and guileless look. and might even be re-
garded as a means of economy. II has been
regarded with a great. deal of suspicion and
| even open hostility by those who were look
| Ing to purify the railroad system in this
country. The matter was early taken up by
| the interstate commerce commission, which
| recommended to Congress the passage of a
| law framed as to send the "scalper'' out
| Of business. Congress was not as much dis
| turbed as the commission and failed to pass
| the law, but the remarks made in the COM
missions report still stand as an indict-
ment against the broker. The commission
| pointed out that the scalpe- was merely a
| jobber between the railroad company and
! the prospective passenger, and that while 1t
| would appear on the face of 1t that a por-
\ ton of the public was benefited, 1t was, in
| fact true that in order to meet the drain
| the railroad companies raised all rates of
fare and that the public actually paid the
| expenses and profits of the scalpers.
/ In concluding Its report on the subject the
| commission, in 1880, said:
The business is largely sustained by the
| direct encouragement and cooperation Of
| railroad companies themselves. In the pay
ment of commissions to scalpers. in placing
! with them blocks Of tickets in times Of rate
! wars, and in frequently turning over to
| them the return portion of round-trip tick
cts The absence of good faith between ri
val companies opens a door for the en-
ployment of the broker. At the outbreak
! of a cut in rates agreements to maintain
schedule rates are ignored, the services Of
| the broker are invoked, and he Is supplied
| with tickets at greatly reduced rates. or Is
| paid heavy commissions, which may be and
| are expected to be, divided with the pas
| senger.
1 Excursion. tourist and mileage tickets are
| all factors and important ones. in the main-
| tenance OF the scalping business. The first
| two are often purchased by a class of travel
| ers who do not contemplate their use except
! for one way. After being so used the re-
| turn portion of the ticket Is sold to a
| broker, who in turn sells to some traveller
| and the difference In rate between a round
| trip ticket and one good in only a single d.
| rection is divided between the broker and
| the passenger. the former getting the larger
| share. The mileage ticket is sold to a
| roads do not attempt to confine to the orig
| inal purchaser, Is also largely utilized by
| brokers and rented out piecemeal to travel
| ers.
| Dishonest employees OF railroads contribute
| In no small degree to keeping up the bust
| ness of furnishing the scalpers with tickets
| which have been used but not Cancelled; and
| stolen and counterfeit tickets also furnish
their contribution to the stock Of the
| broker.
| Tickets given by railroad companies for
| advertising in newspapers, and to men in
| business such as hotel keepers and others,
ell a ii al