The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-22
THE SCALPERS ALARMED
ATTACK BY THE CENTRAL PASSEN-
GER COMMITTEE FEARED.
Where the Pennsylvania Company
Has Made Mistakes - Possible
Changes ON the ID. * o. ). w.


have been untiring in their efforts to freeze
out the scalpers. Through their instru-
mentality laws have been passed by legisla-
lures to crush us out. At last it has got
before Congress, and l must admit that it
looks more squally for us than at any time
in the history of our existence but we have
become so used to such attacks that we
hope that, as in the past, matters will yet
turn in our favor. Just now
the thing that is most trou-
bling the scalpers is the proposition
of Commissioner Donald, of the Central
Passenger Committee to have all inter-
changeabe mileage, whether 1,0O0 1900 or
5000 miles, sold through the bureau that
the 5,000-mile interchangeable tickets are
now sold through. This would be a serious
blow"
A general passenger agent said yesterday
that there was no question that the out
look for the scalper is exceedingly dark so
far as this territory is concerned, at least,
as every important road in the Central
Passenger Association territory had entered
into the agreement to have all mileage, not
only interchangeable but individual, sold
through the bureau. Tickets will be on sale
as now at the ticket offices, but every
ticket sold must be reported to the bureau,
and the name of the person to whom it was
sold. A sufficient time is to be given to
retire all mileage now out; then any line
which does not enter into this arrangement
will find that its interchangeable mileage
will not be honored on the association roads
unless the holder of the book will take
oath that he is the original purchaser. The
plan of the Central Passenger Committee
has been in force on the Western lines some
months except that the tickets sold are
not reported when sold to any bureau, and
il has worked admirably. The general pas
senger agent quoted above SAID that When
this arrangement is in operation 1t would
do away with the improper use OF mileage
and the exchange tickets and he was salts
fed that the passenger revenue OF Such
roads as the Big -Four, the Monon, the On
vania lines and the Baltimore & OHIO
Southwestern would be up to the usual
average of years past, the inauguration
of the new agreement is looked forward 10
with much interest, not only by the scalp
ers. but by the advocates of better protec-
ton of the mileage book.
Opposed to the Pooling Bill.
The Interstate-commerce Commission has
sent to Senator Cullom, of Illinois, a long
letter in response to a request for SUCCESS
lions regarding the pooling bill. The COM
nissioners are all opposed to the bill for the
reason that there are many cases pending
before the United States Supreme Court in
volving the most important provisions Of
the interstate-commeree act. The letter
says: 1.-The chief purpose aof those who
urge immediate legislation under present
conditions is to authorize pooling and undo
the recent decision of the Supreme Court
in the Missouri and antitrust cases,
as provided in the proposed fifth section,
which is identical with a like provision in
the so-called Patterson bill of the House,
No. 1887, first session, Fifty-fourth Con-
gress. This we believe should not be done;
but should the Congress determine other
wise and deem it wise to1authoriZe pooling.
it should be done only ongterrns which Will
prevent the abuse of the privilege granted.
In our opinion this cannot be done except
by guarantees secured before the authority
to pool is given, and before the contract
goes into effect. The carriers, whether by
railroad, lake riVer-fOr all are included
before being allowed to pool should spec
ify their rates on the traffic or business to
be pooled. and the contract with maximum
rates established as a part of 1t should be
subject to approval by the commission be-
fore taking effect. The provision in the
proposed bill that the commission may set
aside the pooling contract after it has taken
effect and become operative is misleading.
Any such attempt at the annulling of a
contract by the commission the carriers
will resist as unreasonable and unlawful,
and will but result in veXatiouS, expensive,
interminabie and, to the commission, UNI
successful lawsuits
THE time of notice of increase and re-
duction of rates, we believe. should be ex-
tended to at least sixty days. The facility
with which rates are cut or reduced on
three days notice and increased after ten
days notice leads to and encourages the
practices which result in uncertainty and
instability of rates and charges. In other
respects the changes proposed in Section 6
of the existing law though relating chiefly
to details, are approved
Other sections of the bill are reviewed at
length and some of them approved, but
ana Prouty, IN postscript say; We are
opposed to the passage of the pending bill
or of any other pooling bill until this com
mission is given, by suitable amendment,
the power in fact which it is supposed to
have and must have in order to carry out
the purposes of the act to regulate corr
merce. We believe that the questions in
volVad in the proposed legislation are of
paramount Importance, and should only be
acted upon with the most mature consider
alton, and that any legislation at the pres
ent time would be unwise."
Uneasiness Among Panhandle Men.
Men in the freight service of the Pan
handle lines are said to be somewhat I'M
easy over the following item which APP
peared in one of the Columbus papers the
Jay dlleT the thomson Inspection party
passed through that city:
1T is said that President Thomson will
not accept the statement from his subor-
dlnates that there is no business for them
to get, as an excuse for lack of comfort
able row of figures on the right side of
the balance and that he is determined in
such cases to replace his men with others
who can get business even if they have to
make ii. One thing is certain that Presi-
dent Thomson and First Vice President Nc
Crea, of the Pennsylvania Company will
go into the situation very thoroughly dur
ing the course of the present inspection
trip, and freight and passenger officials all
over the system will await the result of
their deliberations with considerable I'M
easiness."
An official high in authority on a COM
peting line said: The mistakes of the
Pennsylvania Company date back of the
present time. Before competition became
arbitrary than the Pennsylvania, but one
illustration is enough TO show what l mean
by this remark. The Gent cerealine works
were located at Columbus, Ind, on the
lines, and the Pennsylvania Company had
the handling of its business in its own
hands and could control every pound of
the freight of a concern which was re-
ceiving from five to six thousand bushels of
corn per day and converting the same into
cerealine products to be shipped much of
it for export; but the demands of the
freight department We're so arbitrary that
the proprietors of this extensive plant
abandoned it and at large expense built
mills at indianapolis, where competition
would assure to them reasonable rates.
could name number of like mistakes on
the part of the Pennsylvania, but [ mention
the matter more for the reason that at
present there are no more earnest workers
for business than the representatives of the
lgt mis- q l<n -,f l1a