The San Francisco call., 1896-04-09
They Charge the Southern Pacific
With Putting Up a Job
on Them.
THEIR COMMISSIONS AT STAKE.
Rulings by Caldwell That Will Cinch
Them for the Benefit of Hunt.
ington's Corporation.

Every railroad passenger agent III the
City is incensed against the Southern
Pacific Company as the result OF the re-
Gently promulgated ruling of Chairman
Caldwell of the Western Passenger Asso-
citation that commissions are to be paid
only to coupon ticket agents of initial
lines.
1t is claimed by them that this is a move
in the interest of the Southern Pacific.
They say that Chairman Caldwell plays
into the hands of the Southern Pacific in
most things brought before him. For
years it has been the custom OF the
Southern Pacific Company to allow tickets
in blank to 60 to the offices OF the various
agents of connecting lines IN good stand
ing, and thus all the agents of the con-
Meeting lines virtually became sub-agents
of the Southern Pacific Company.
The only initial lines in this City are
the Southern Pacific, the Santa Fe and
the Oregon Railway and Navigation Com
pany. The Santa Fe has through route
OF It's own to Chicago, SO it has nothing to
expect from the local agents OF the Western
roads, and the Oregon Railway and Navl-
cation Company takes comparatively
little through passenger business from
this City. To better understand the sltu-
ton it must be stated that the Southern
Pacific Company is not required TO pay
commissions on eastbound business.
The result of the latest ruling OF Chair-
man CALDWELL coupled with that which
ordered the Southern Pacific Company not
to permit other agents to have blank tlck-
cts, will be, if obeyed, to throw about $ooOo
paid out in commissions each month en-
tirely into the hands of its agents.
Under the old method if Agent Jones or
the Rock Island road sold a ticket In his
Office to passenger over the Central Ia
cific to Ogden, the Union Pacific to Oma-
cago. he would receive a commission from
the Union Pacific and SO if Agent Hitch
cock of the Union Pacific sold ticket over
the same lines he would be entitled to
commission from the Rock Island.
AS the matter now stands, according to
the ruling of Chairman Caldwell, the com
missions revert to the Southern PACING
Company, which, however, is not entitled
to commission from the road whose
agent in this City sold the ticket.
But the ruling OF Caldwell that the
Southern Pacific shall not give out tickets
in blank is said to be scheme hatched by
the Southern Pacific Company to secure
the full commissions On every ticket sold
out of this City. for if the ruling men
AlOHco 10 CilIOlSCu ~ Will
drive every through passenger directly to
the office of the Southern Pacific. which
would thus be entitled to commission
from each connecting line over which the
passenger travelled between here and CHI
cago. If agents of connecting lines are not
permitted to carry in stock blank tickets
they will have to take their passengers to
the Office of the Southern Pacific Company
and then trot them back to their own. 1t
is claimed that as soon as the travelling
public realizes that no matter at which
office they go to purchase their tickets
outside of those of the Santa BE and
Oregon Railway and Navigation Conn
pany-they must go to the office OF the
Southern Pacific. they will save the super
fuous exercise of walk to and from that
office to that of some outside ticket agent
and go direct to the Southern Pacific.
Thus it would be but a comparatively
short time before the Southern Pacific
would be doing very nearly all the through
passenger business through its own agents,
and the agents Of the other lines would not
be left to whistle for their commissions,
but would be enjoying sinecures, as with
perhaps few exceptions the Southern Pa
Citic would route all passengers.
Such a condition of things, however
is no more acceptable to the managers
of the connecting lines than their
local agents, and there is every prob
ability that this ruling will have to be re-
voked. If it is not there is certain to be
trouble. 1t is now being violated every
day apd by every agent who gets the oppor-
tunity to do so.