The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-01-24
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INTERtH-iNtrEAB MILEAGE.
Why There Il No Sale for the Book.
Too Much Red Tapc.

| Commercial Traveller, ST. Louis.
! When the fact was announced early last
month that the central passenger commit
| tee had granted the request OF the travel
Ing men of the country for d 5000 mile in
Interchangeable mileage book, tho officers
and members of all commercial travellers
! associations were rejolced that after twelve
years OF hard and upceasing labor their Ell -
| forts had at last been crowned with sue
cess
On December . the committee met in
Chicago and adopted the following resolu-
| ton:
Resolved, That for such companies as de-
| sire to participate in the same tne cummls
sioner and the central passenger committee
may issue a 5000-mile interchangeable
ticket OF the personal photograph form
at rate of SlOp, not good on trains but It's
coupons to be accepted at ticket Offices
for exchange tickets, all OF the expenses
pertaining to the issue OF such ticket to be
paid by the companies parties to the al
ransemenL.
hon tho news was first promulgated
that the roads in the territory OF the con-
tral committee had at last conceded what
has 50 long been sought the travelling men
were exceedingly lubilant; but within Il few
days their eNuberence turned to disgust
age was to be used We're made known.
In the first place all books had to be
purchased through the commissioner or
the central passenger committee IN Chi
cago. thus making the purchase of the
mileage cause a loss OF time and general
Inconvenience to begin with. If traveller
out on the road were compelled to use more
mileage than he expected to on his trip,
and exhausted his supply, he could only OBJ
tain another book by writing TO Chicago.
and then loafing around until it arrived,
perhaps in one day, perhaps in three or
four.
Then again the mileage is not good for
passage on trains. but must be exchanged
for trip tichetd at each station along the
route, and IL he fails TO make the exchange
he Is then compelled TO pay fun local fare
of 3 cents a mile for his journey.
This last feature is by far worse than the
first. and would tend to destroy the of-
ficlency OF the mileage even IL the first
objection wore overcome by placing the
tickets on sale by all agents or even the
agents at terminal points, as every one
who has ever Travelled at all knows that
travelling men frequently have Just suf-
fcent time to barely check their baggage
and catch the train. Especially Is this true
In the small towns, where the farmers who
act as station agents, are noted for their
lack OF speed, and in the event OF three
or four travellers each having several pieces
of baggage to check, II is dollars to dough
nuts that majority OF them would either
be waiting to exchange their mileage for
ticket when the train pulled out. or pay ;
cents mile TO ride to their next stopping
place.
That the travelling men throughout tn,
country are heot ming heartily tired OF the
bushwhacking tactics which majority OF
the railroads have employed to keen from
issuing a fair and equitable mileage book
that viii he "A convenience to them instead
OF an absolute Inconvenience, is shown by
the resolutions adopted by the Western
Commercial Travellers association at their
annual meeting. December 20, which will
he found elsewhere in this issue, and which
are in strict accord with tho position of
the Travellers Protective association on
the proposition.
The travelling men are not only willing
but anxious that the railroads should pro
tcct themselves by every reasonable safe
guard in the issuance OF an Interchangeable
book, but they do insist that II BE-
such book as can be purchased and used
without having Its value destroyed by n
OF unnecessary red tape con-
ditions.
II the railroads are willing to issue such |
a book let them say so and then do Il. II |
they do not intend 20. let them say so
and then both parties to tho contention !
will know where they stand and be able /
to govern themselves accordingly
The travelling men hav" boon guided long ,
enough by the ipnls fatrus light and now |
demand the real substance.