The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-09-23
Railway Ticket ScaIping
Is Watched.
Is WATCHED.
ONE AGENT NEATLY CAUGHT.
The Southern Pacific People i'm
New Tactics.
TRYING TO DEMoRALIZE AGENTS
A Shrewd Scheme to Brighten Them
From Cutting Rates and to En-
force a Combination.

The railway ticket agents are pulling
their brains to find out what new scheme
the Southern Pacific Company has on foot
regarding passenger business. That some
project is being secretly and cunningiy
manipulated they have no doubt. but just
what it is can only be a matter Of mere
conjecture, although some agents state
positively tn it is showing itself as part
of a determined effort TO drive them all
into the new Transcontnental Passenger
Association for the sole purpose of main
tanning rates.
For some weeks past the scheme to
scare agents from cutting rates has been
disturbing, to say the least
And it has been conducted with such per-
sistency that no agent feels secure in lower
ing the face value OF a ticket. He may be
caught, in which case he loses the amount
he deducted from the tickets standard
price anu possibly is given a reprimand by
bis company. With this state of affairs
around him he is afraid of his neighbor,
who is none the less dstrustful of him
self, and so on through all the ticket Of
fees.
The method employed is to send men
known as "siuffers" into a suspected Of
fec to buy tickets. These suffers" ask
for a rebate, which if given is reported i'm
mediately. The tickets are Cancelled and
the accommodating agent loses exactly
what he took off the price. generally few
dollars on tickets to Western points and
SIS or $40 TO the East
Who started this detective scheme Is not
known on the street, but the Southern
Pacific people receive credit for it. With
agents demorslzsd from fear of being
caught and losing the amount they de-
Quoted the Southern Pacific men feel sat-
isfed of victory-that is agents would
eventually be compelled to call halt in
cutting and then enter combination for
mutual protection. This combine is ex-
actly what the people at Fourth and
Townsend streets earnestly desire, for il
would assure their ticket-offiee a lions
share of the local business and conse-
quently save commission which should be
paid to agents.
Friday afternoon six men entered the
Office of j. G. Mccall. agent for the Erie
Railroad, and purchased six tickets for
Eastern points. The tickets were sold at
slightly reduced rates which left a CON-
Portable margin for the agent, while CIV
ing his road six passengers. 1t transpired
yesterday to the establishment OF Agent
Mccall that the tickets were cancelled by
the Southern Pacific and returned. The
men who bought them were simply acting
as detectives to catch agents cutting rates.
What the effect will be is not doubted.
The agents must cease cutting or take
chances on being caught by decoys and
losing heavily by their enterprise.
Another innovation on the Southern
Pacific's part has set agents specializing
They see four or five old conductors, in
Guiding Massey, Hubbard and Old Captain
knight, day after day al 613 Market street,
the Southern Pacific ticket office. The
men appear TO have no employment fur her
than lettering around the office. Alright,
however, they are seen on the overland
trains leaving Oakland, and they &C
company these trains although the Iegu-
lar conductors are in charge.
Their business Is to inspect tickets and
look out for scalped Ones" said an agent
yesterday. They go out on the evening
trains and watch every passenger clossly,
as we'll as the tickets. We are sure that
they are specially employed to catch
scalpers, but what success has attended
them cannot say. Anyhow l know this
much. the local agents are not quite
pleased with the latest move by the South
ern Pacific"