The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-04-08
IT WANTS A JOINT OFFICE.
THE r. C.. & =. DESIRES AN INTER-
EST n THE DE sOFO TICKET
OFFICE.

Mr.. MacDOneII says lie Would Favor
Tourist Rate to Savannah II This
End Could BE brought AbOut-A
Plant system OmeiaI Very PERTH
and PeninsuInr Would Guarantee
Tourist Rate 10 savannah NJ n
Were Given an Interest in the
Plant system Ticket Onice-Where
thc Trouble Lies.
The effort 70 secure tourist rates for
savannah from northern and eastern
points has taken rather a new turn.
Commissioner a. c. Knapp OF the freight
bureau has for some time been in cor
respondeEce with the officials Of the Flor
ida Central and Peninsular railroad, a
connection Of the Southern railway, but
it seems that these officials are not as
favorable TO the movement as has been
supposed. and as has been stated by some
Of them on different occasions.
Maj. Knapp's recent conference was
with Air. A. o. MacDoneH. general pas
senger agent OF the Florida Central and
Peninsular, who stated in substance that
mis- feeling in this matter was altogether
friendly. and that he had agitated the
matter. but that the conditions prevailing
az Savannah were such that he did not
feel he could give it a very cordial sup
port. Mr. MacDonel maintains that the
action Of the De Soto in giving TO the
Plant system the exclusive ticket Office
in l. Il
that he win be forced to work all bust
ness over his line to points beyond sa-
vannah.
Mr.. MacDonell maintains that under
the present conditions II a passenger holds
a ticket TO Savannah, his road has no
showing whatever to get his share of the
business sOuthbOund, on account of the
fact that the Plant systems ticket office
is at the De Soto, and travellers viii not
take the trouble to hunt up the other
ticket offices located at more remote
points. His idea seems to be that the
ticket Office in question should be a union
ticket office, operated by a joint man,
having on sale tickets over all the lines
out of Savannah, but as the Plant sys-
TEN has a three years lease on this
Office, it is not apparent just how this
end can be accomplished. If any iptiu-
ence could be brought to bear by which
this office could be converted into a union
ticket office he would do all in ms power
he says. to establish Savannah as a tour
list point.
Most Of the hotels in Jacksonville and
points on the east coast have such Joint
ticket offices. and this, it is urged is
an advantage to the travelling public as
well as to all the roads centering in such
a place. OF course the Southern would
boI To oh ha ms vie a. hf
ida Central and Peninsular and it would
be practically impossible to accomplish
anything without the cooperation of both
lines.
I'm my opinion that is rather a poor
excuse" one of the Plant officials said
yesterday, when questioned about the
matter. "The fact is, the office which we
now occupy was vacant for two years
and the Florida Central and Peninsular
had the opportunity during that time
to secure It, but they did not take advant-
age of it, and finally the Plant System
rented the office. beautifed it, and made
something of it and now they come in
and complain. Our ticket Office was re-
moved from the business portion of the
city, and there the other lines have every
advantage. When this step was taken, it
was predicted that 1t would be a failure,
but you see what has been accomplished.
"Will MIR. MacDonell guarantee a tou-
rist rate to Savannah If he's allowed a
share in the Plant system ticket office at
the De Soto? You may say for the Off
Gals of this system that if Mr.. MacDon-
ell will guarantee to have these tickets
placed on sale the question of a joint
ticket Office win be discussed at once.
There is another view which might be
taken of the matter" he said. IF the
Southern Railway Company were willing
and ready to place the ticket on sale, it
could do so without regard to the Florida
Central and Peninsular, selling a ticket
by way of Charleston, which would not
reach their lines"
1t seems that 1t is the Pennsylvania
railroad that has got to be worked into
line through the Trunk Line Association
before a tourist ticket from the east TO
Savannah can be obtained and the South
ern railway on account of its having its
own line into Washington, is about the
only medium through which the Penusyl-
vania can be worked on. The Southern
Passenger Association as far back as
1883, consented to tourist rates to this
city and section, and practically left il
for the railroads to decide among them
selves as to what cities should be given
the advantage of the tourist rates. The
rate generally speaking was fixed at
four cents a mile. Lines from the west
made Savannah a tourist point, but
those from the east failed to do so. This
matter was urged by Mr.. T. NJ. Emerson,
traffic manager of the Atlantic Coast
Line, at the meeting of the association,
and the passenger officials of the Plant
system have for sometime announced
themselves as strongly in favor of it.
The dinculty is, however, that the
Pennsylvania refuses to consider Savan-
nah as a tourist point. The Southern rail
way can sell tourist tickets out of Wash
ington should it SO desire. to Savannah
or Charleston. The Atlantic Coast Line is
prevented from doing this from the fact
that it has no line into Washington, as
its line ends at Quantico, where a connee-
ton is made with the Pennsylvania rail
road. But if the Southern placed such
tickets on sale. it would necessarily bring
the Pennsylvania railroad to the same
point, and such tickets could then be Sc
cured over both lines from the north and
east to Savannah. The initiatory step il
seems, lies with the Southern and the
Florida Central and Peninsular railroad,
and it remains to be seen whether they
viii take it.
DESERTED THEIR SHIP.
Two Firemen and Sailor Escape