The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-08-28

at less than legal fares in a manner which
| VIII stop speculation in them, prevent their
| purchasers, who are willing to make the
| larger outlay on account of the induce
/ mentS offered. Hence the new rebate form
! OF mileage ticket.
1t is well-established business principle
| that articles are sold at wholesale at a
| price per article much less than at retail
and the wholesale principle governs the is
| sue and sale of mileage tickets. The man
| VINO viii purchase one-thousand-mlle
| tlcKet, or s. Ve-thOuSand-mile ticket and
agree to ride ii out within a year, without
transfer to another or sale to a Spectator,
Is entitled to a reduction of cent per mile
below the legal fare; but the man VINO
takes only an occasional local trip during
the year should pay the full legal fares au-
! thorized by the laws of the country. The
railroads cannot live if relief does not come
from some source. No sane person VIII
urge that they shall transact their business
at an actual loss. 1t will be admitted that
tected.
The rebate of $40 on new mileage tickets
Will intercept their transfers and thWart
speculation in them. The original pur-
chaser who rides ont his ticket, no matter
how soon, will receive his rebate promptly,
and therefore almost Immediately appreci-
ate the net rate of cents per mile. Inc
extended scope of the new one-thouSand :
mile ticket should not be lost sight OF. II
is good for exchange tickets over forty d1t-
ferent railroads, embracing over twenty
thousand miles of travel, ana TINS Is tne
first interchangeable" one-thousand-miie
ticket which has been permitted 10 lhclude
the PENNSYLVANIA lines, the Nanda1a ana
other large and important systems 1t IS
within the reach of every one ana Is SOFA
without discrimination.
The fiVe-thOusand-mile interchangeaple
Central Passenger Association ticket, or the
photograph form, was placed on SAFE al tlg
request Of commercial travellers ana Will
still be valuable to all at the nat rate OIL
two cents per mile, or one hundred collars
With that ticket and the new lnterchallSS
able one-thousand-mile ticket at thirty Dol
lars all classes of travel who purchase
tickets on the wholesale plan can be abun-
dainty well accommodated. and 1t seems ms
to US that objections thereto cannot DC
made upon reasonable ground.
The object Of the exchange ticket feature
is to insure a proper collection and return
relieve the conductor, whose multlfarous
duties are already burdensome, OF service
which should be performed by the agent.
No experienced traveller VIII need any eX-
PLANTATION of this comprehensive aVerment
The exchange ticket brings protectlon 10
which the railway companies are entlII ee
and inasmuch as they voluntarily oHer
mileage tickets at reduced fares, why
should they not surround their issue with
restrictive conditions when canh0t III f d ny
manner whatever impair the rlghtS Oa Ine
passenger? They only ask that their pa
irons come to their stations Few minutes
earlier than the usual time, IN order tntt
the agent may have the opportunity TO IlIt
their mileage coupons and issue IN eX-
change therefor the proper ticket. is IL any
more than right and reasonable TO SOLICIT
the cheerful acquiescence or passengers III
the plan, when it brings to them the low
fare which they seek, ana results III tiie -
sue of a ticket upon which there can De
no question as to the checking OF baggage
and puts them on the train with q ticket
concerning which there can be no cohtro-
Versy with the conductor
It has been suggested that the rebate plan
has been adopted for the purpose or OBTAIN
ing the use Of the travellers money. There
is nothing in that. The honest and con-
slant traveller will personally ride out many
tickets in a year, and the rebate money VIII
be so quickly refunded that ne VIII nave
no time to contemplate the establishment
of savings fund with the commissioner
I do not speak by authority for other IMAM
the Pennsylvania and Vandalia lines, but
believe that l have herein briefy expressed
the sentiments of every general passenger
agent of the lines pat1es to the mliease ItGa-
ton The interests of the railway compa-
MES are the interests of their patrons, ana
it is not their intention TO lnfllct any hdtu-
ship or inordinate restriction upon travellers
who may wish to avail themselves OF the
benefits afforded by the purchase OF mile
a pc tickets May ii not therefore be war
rantably asked that the new plan nave
fair trial, and that Judgment be suspended
until the results are better known than
they can possibly be anticipated.
There may be an unusual sale of these
tickets on the first days of september,
which may cause some confusion at union
and other ticket offices, but arrangements
have been made for extra help, ana the
general passenger agents or nneS Interested
will use every effort to have both the mile
age and the exchange tickets issued IN an
expeditions and satisfactory manner. we
therefore beSDeak the 1OrDeaTduCe OI III
tending purchasers for a few days. empha-
sizing the suggestion that after the plans
of the association are better understood
and the friction incident to the workings
Of the new machinery Is worn away, 1T
is believed that the new methods will move
along smoothly and everybody VIII be nap
Uneven the constitutional grumbler who is
always happy because he IS always grum-
bling. Il. A. fOrD,
General Passenger Agent, Pennsylvania
and Vandalia Lines.
IOi++Gbi1rer Anor