Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1895-02-28
RATES FOR oLEaaYMEN.

ing ON January /, 1895, changed then
rules regarding the issue OF reduced
rates to clergymen, and unauthorized
statements as to the reasons for making
the change having been published, con
siderable correspondence between the
clergy and the railroads has resulted
The recent letter from Hon. Chaunccy
NJ. Depew, President of the New Yorh
Central, corrects certain erroneous i'm
pressions and states that company's pc
sition in the matter very clearly. The
letter is as follows:
New York Central and Hudson River Railroad
Co., Grand Central Depot,
NEW YORK, January 10, 1895.
Req Mention J. C0Rklia and H. H. Steb6tnS,
d. d., Committed:
GENTLEMEN,--I am in receipt of your
letter of January 18th, enclosing the
resolutions of the Presbyterian Minis
ters' Association of Rochester.
The resolutions are based upon a
misapprehension of the facts. The
press dispatch announcing that the
New York Central had withdrawn the
ministerial half-rate tickets because
some of the ministers had abused the
privilege, loaning their permits to un'
authorized persons, and sometimes even
selling them" was wholly unauthor'
lied. No such information or notice
was given to the press or to anyone else
by any officer of this company. There
was also an interview reported with me
on this subject, making similar, If not
more serious charges, but no such in
terview ever took place.
deeply regret the publicity which
was given to this matter and the dis
cussion which has grown out of it be-
fore we had really arrived at what was
the best policy for this company and
its associates in the Trunk Line Asso-
citation to pursue. 1t had been devel-
oped that very great abuses existed in
the issuance and use of the so-called
ministerial ticket 1t was not, however,
the fault of the ministers. So far as |
can ascertain, no clergyman of any
church has been guilty Of any impro'
priety in the use of this privilege. Like
most departures from regular rules
this one led after awhile to serious de.
moralization of passenger rates. The
privilege of the ministerial order be-
came extended to all persons who had
ever been ordained as clergymen
whether they still had any charge OF
performed any ministerial services o.
not. Many who had gone into business
claimed and received the order. Then
| it was extended to missionaries and
officers of the Salvation Army, of the
Y. M. G. A., and of other religious Of
semi-religious organizations. This ena
bled railway officials who desired to dc
so to issue the half-rate ticket to almos
anybody.
am sorry to say that some railway
do not treat their agreements with eacl
other with the same sense of honorabl,
obligation which the officers would oh
serve in their individual transactions
We were amazed TO discover that in or
der to increase their business withou
apparently cutting the rates a few o
the roads placed the ministerial ticket
in scalpers' offices for sale. In this wa
they came into the hands of the genera
public. l. frequently occurred tina
the conductor, when calling upon som
passenger whom he did not tliink wa
minister to produce the ministeria
order which every clergyman carried
was met by fiat refusal, simply be
cause the passenger was not minis
ter, had no order and had received @
purchased the ticket in some one c
the ways which | have described. Oh
the conductor would find that unde
the guise of missionary or an office
of one of these organizations he had n
ceived the order and ticket or else ha
bought a ticket which some one VIII
could not be vouched for as clergy
man with a charge had secured, an
then placed in a scalper's office for salt
OF course the essential principle at I'll
bottom of the relations between tn
railways and the public is that ever,
body shall be treated alike; that I'll
railway fare shall be like the postag
of the government, the same to ever
one who boards the train and become
passenger between the same point
The wisdom of the prohibition Of di
ordinations in favor of one person ;
against another, or of one shipper {
against another, or of one locality ;
against another, is now universally a
mitted, and is incorporated in the ra
way laws.
The ministerial ticket was issued ;
O reduced rate, not as an act of CHART.
as some have alleged, but because
was believed that the clergy and IL
church performed an essential servi
which was felt throughout the vast Ell
ployment of these corporations.
Personally, would be very glad
the privilege could be continued und
restrictions which would confne
within legitimate bounds You will 81
however, from the explanations. whit
1 have given, how difficult profile
this is.
Yours very truly,
(Signed) CHAUNcEY M. DEPEw,
President
dMon,, Ammo Inn 90 1Qo6