The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-10-04

Threaten to Boycott the Glover Leaf.
An Eastern paper makes a vigorous at
tack on the Clover-leaf. In discussing the
decentralization in rates from st. Paul to
the seaboard, it says an advance in rates
by the Joint Traffic Association could not
be effected. The efforts to bring the st.
Louis roads into line have proved fruitless
because of the inability to control the To-
ledo, ST. Louis & Kansas City line. This
road runs from st. Louis to Toledo, where
it finds an Independent outlet by lake. It's
receiver pays little attention to the tariffs
issued by the association, and makes what
ever rates he deems necessary to get
large proportion of the business. The Wa
bash also has a line from st. Louis to To-
ledo, and, though a member of the associa-
ton. has deemed it advisable to meet the
rates made by the Clover-leaf and in con-
sequence the two roads have practically
had monopoly of the eaSt-bouEd. business
from ST. Louis for some time
The worst sufferer from this competltlon
has been the Big -Four and chesapeake q
Ohio route and a few days ago President
M E. Ingalls, gave notice to the board or
managers that unless q maintenance or
east-bound rates from st. Louis coui Go, De
secured he would repudiate the Joint
Traffic Association agreement and take IN
dependent action to protect the newport
News interests. c~,,o;,,,o+,
IL was announced that tariffs out OF 81
Louis were to be restored and maintained
on and after Oct. To- subJect 10 lne alliI III
ative vote of one road. This road is the
Toledo ST. Louis q Kansas CITY, anu,
iudging by previous experiences, 1t IS
Soubtf1Il whether the consent OF the re-
oes1er of the road can be obtained. If the
road refuses to join the others IN MAINTAIN
ing agreed rates the only thing the asSocla-
ton managers can do is to declare a BOY
colt agai,-St the CloVer-leaf ana refuse TO
Exchange business with it, as after the
close of navigation this road VIII nave 10
denend upon the association lines LOT al
Snch q boycott was declared against the
C1over-Ieaf a year ago by some OF It's con-
70 he bulldozed and brought suit against
the boycotterS. The boycotC MdSS H.
drawn before the case came 10 trlal' az tiio
Eastern roads did not care 70 nave eeN.e,+ sAe
natter brought to an issue in the courts.
A. tn Mileage Exchange Tickets.
Tn criticising the new interchangeable
ooo-mile ticket which was launched Sept
nv the Central Passenger Association, ana
which will be honored over more than zo'V0O
miles Of different railroads Commercial
Traveller" in a letter to the Railway Age,
dated Chicago, Aug /, says;
II can make % per cent; more points on
an ordinary trip with a mileage ticket good
on the train than without 1t. Ihat is why
/ kick at the exchange ticket scheme or the
Central Passenger Association. w nat IS me
sense IN it? Travelling men as a rule won
buy q mileage ticket that has TO be eX-
changed at the station. They Will take
their chances with the conductors-and the
roads won't make so much out Of them in
the long run as though they had sold them
mileage tickets good on the trains.
How much does this threat mean to the
railroad companies interested in the ticket
referred to? Is forewarned forearmed? The
Railway Age in commenting on the above
letter says:
The last sentence in this letter uninten-
tionally answers the correspondents ques-
ton: What is the sense in the exchange
ticket plan? 1t is, in part, to prevent the
traveller from making, or trying to make
q dishonest arrangement with the conduc
tor either in handling cash fares or pulling
an insufficient amount of mileage The dis
honesty of the few has worked injury to
the honest many; for it undoubtedly is
sometimes to the advantage of the hurrying
salesman to be able to board the train with
out stopping for a ticket but after all the
holder of the exchange mileage ticket viii
only be placed on the same footing with
the traveller who pays the full fare, and the
saving of one-third the cost of the ordinary
ticket upon the rebate plan. coupled as it is
with the privilege of using one mileage book
on many connecting roads ought to make
him willing to comply with requirement
which the railroads consider necessary 10
their own protection.