The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-03-15
SOUTHERN PACIFIC PLEA
The Railroads Employees Make
an Argument for the
Company.
BLEDsoE LEADS THE OPPOSITION
The Executive Makes Some Forcible
Remarks Concerning the Char
acter of the Proposed Law.


Budd will not approve the anti-scalpers'
bill, for he said so tonight.
The scalpers and the Southern Pacific
had day in court before the Governor to-
day. The afternoon was consumed in the
arguments over the extraordinary bill
which the Legislature sent to the Gov
ernor for his signature. Governor Budd
at various points in the dialogue
plainly and pointedly intimated that
the bill would not be signed, and
skillfully drew from the railroads ad-
herents cogent admissions why it should
not be signed.
| Assemblyman Bledsoe, one of the bit
terest opponents of the bill in the Legisla-
ture, made the first address, saying: "I
introduced the amendment which provides
that purchaser of a ticket IN good faith
may sell or give it to another I have
fought this bill for three sessions. I have
never been able to understand the extraor-
dinary interest which the Southern Pacific
takes in this bill and why it should main
tain its lobby here. [ know that it has
had such lobbyists as Gillis and Gage here
and some disguised lobbyists who appear
as employees of the corporation. Knowing
the history of the Southern Pacific Com
pany and the way it has treated the
people of this State, I do not think
the provisions of bill which the cor
poration's lobby works so earnestly for
can be of benefit to the people of Califor-
MIA. Look at the penal propositions in the
bill. When a man buys ticket he pays
for it in advance. 1t should make no
difference who rides that ticket out. If
the purchaser of a ticket violates the pro-
visions of this bill he goes to prison. If
the corporation violates it, it is to be i'm
prisoned. How are you going to imprison
a corporation2 Will G. P. Huntington, II.
e. Huntington, Colonel Crocker or Steven
Gage endure the vicarious punishment, or
will some gentlen an who has been here
for the last two months lobbying for the
bill go to prison for the corporation?"
George w. Mckenzie of Chicago, presi-
dent of the American Ticket brokers' AS
sociation, made strong argument against
the bill. He laughed at the idea that the
bill was to protect the railroad conductors,
and referring to Conductor Massey, who
was present, said: Brother Massey car
ried me on his train on my bridal tour and
now he comes here to be protected by the
people of California. Six years ago the
Southern Pacific came here to lobby for the
bill. The railroad, of course, is not here
to-day. 1t is merely the conductors. Why
are they here?"
'tOf course, while they are here they are
not getting any pay from the road" sug-
gested the Governor, and the crowd which
had gathered to hear the argument
laughed.
'When a conductor has not sufficient
discrimination to lift scalper ticket, of
course he is docked. Brother Massey is
| frequently docked in this way" sarcas-
titally continued Mckenzie. He also ex-
planned the workings of the Ticket-brokers
Association. He challenged the con-
ductors to show where a single one had
been forced to make good scalped ticket
| to the railroad. There was no acceptance
of the challenge.
Then Mckenzie declared that ticket
| brokers bought tickets from the railroads
and divided the commissions with the pur-
chasers of the tickets, while, when the pur-
chaser bought his ticket in the Southern
Pacific Office the commission was divided
between Stubs and Goodman, and this
commission on the overland tickets
amounted to thousands of dollars year.
| William Ross of the Southern Pacific,
who represented the ticket clerks and the
conductors, denied this and challenged
Mckenzie to prove his statement. Nc
Kenzie sought to interrupt, but Ross said
that he preferred to speak continuously
otherwise he might get ratified.
II am glad to see that somebody con-
nected with the Southern Pacific can get
ratified" said the Governor.
| Ross read from Judge Cooley's report
| condemning the business of the ticket
brokers.
Governor Budd declared that under the
provisions of the bill the man who bought
ticket after it had been sold to second
person could be punished more severely
| than the man who stole a ticket or the
| man who sold his child on the street. The
! bill gave no discretion to the Judge. 1t
was 5000 fine or years imprisonment, as
the minimum. "Do you think that is
right?' asked the Governor of Ross, and
| Ross stammered.
''How is it with you, Brother Massey?"
asked the Governor.
| Massey said, eyes, l think it is"
| The railroad men talked of the wicked
| ness of the scalpers. They did not want to
| injure the dear people, but they did want
| to get at the scalpers. Ross admitted that
| he did not like the amendment, but wanted
the bill as originally drafted.
| The Governor declared that the bill came
| to him in the amended form. His only
course was to sign the bill as it was or to
veto it.
| The Governor gave the scalpers and the
conductors second hearing tonight. In
response to statements by Conductor
| Massey Governor Budd said:
| "Under this bill, if bought ticket an d
gave it to my friend Gould he would not
break the law but if he gave or sold it to
Thomas then they would be punishable.
''But Gould would not do it," said
Assemblyman Thomas.
81 suppose not, for presume you have a
| pass" said the Governor.
t.IS Gould vnnr friend q, asked Massar