The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-28
THE NEW MILEAGE BOOK
COMMERCIAL TRAVELLERS INSIST ON
ITS BEING MODIFIED.
Large Earnings the Feature of This
MOnth--sIr. Depew's Excuse for In
feriOr Railway Stations.

The commercial travellers are making
such strenuous objections to the conditions
of the new interchangeable mileage book
that the railroads will probably find it nee
essary to modify it somewhat The main
object Of course. is to prevent the sale of
mileage books to scalpers, and the use of
the book entails not a little inconvenience
upon the purchaser. They are just begin
ming to feel it here. for most of the travel
ing men stocked up with the old mileage
books just before the new ones were placed
on sale. and the total sales of the new
books have only been something over seven
thousand
There are number of inconvenient and
unjust things about the book said a trav-
cling man yesterday. "They compel me to
lay down $50 for $40 worth of mileage. They
will rebate $40 of this at their own will
do not know when they will do it, but It
will not be done until my book is used up
and they have taken a month, or three
months, or whatever the time may be that
they require to verify my honesty. In the
meantime ! must buy another book and
contribute another SO Thus they have 500
of mine locked up and they are getting the
use of it. You say they have sold about
seven thousand OF the books. Then they
have $4,000 of travelling mems money that
they are paying no interest on. When
these men buy new books they will have
$4,000. But in this territory covering all
the Middle West, they will sell not less
than 10000 of the books and this means
that in time they will be using 100000 of
otner peoples money without paying inter-
est upon it,
R11f fe fIa ;ao
this injustice that we object to. l must
go to the agent here, and he tears out
mileage for as far as I want to go on his
line. l sign that mileage on the back and
he gives me ticket. not to my destination,
but to the point where I want to change to
another line There may be a big crowd at
the station, but cannot get my baggage
checked until have gone through this red
tape. and 1 must 20 through it again at the
junction point. no matter whether the train
pulls out or not. I must sign the exchange
ticket in the presence of the conductor, and
these signatures are compared with the
ones on the mileage slip at the mileage
bureau. All these slips and tickets must be
gathered from all over the country and the
comparison made and the accounts audited
before l get my extra $40 back, and any
body that has had anything to do with
railroad claims knows that my book is like
~ TO be exhausted many months before I
get the rebate. Then, suppose / Jump off
TO see customer at, say Shelbyville, and
ma MN getting on the train to go to
ClncInanti. l cannot go on with him, but
must STOP TO get new ticket, and the
you know that half the people that go out
OF indianapolis on the morning trains are
traveHng men, and not only do we give the
roads the business that makes their passe~-
shows up heavily in the freight receipts
We are entitled to wholesale rates yet we
are not treated as well as show people or
preachers. 1t is foolhardy business on the
part OF the roads to force us into buying
these books, simply because they can. 1t
has become a question of business with us
and the word has gone out all through the
State that the man who wants a travelling
mans support for the next Legislature
must declare himself for 2-cent rate of
fare. am an ardent Republican, but when
the next compaign comes | am going to
cratic candidate should pledge himself TO
this and a Republican refuse to declare
himself. / shall vote for the 2-cent fare"
Interchangeable Mileage Tickets.
AT a meeting Of the Eastern committee
of the Western Passenger Association
lines it was agreed that, commencing Nov
1, 1897, the Western lines for the territory
now covered by the Western Lines Mileage
forms of 1000 and 2,0OO-mile tickets now on
sale, place in effect the so-called inter-
changeable mileage credit system, which is
to be interchangeable between all of the
lines. The credit system consists OF a mile
age credit per mile, which will be issued
through station agents to any one who de-
sires to avail himself of the arrangement
Upon presentation of this permit by the
holder and the purchase and use of regular
one-way tickets between points in the ter
ritory, over any and all lines, to the extent
of 2,OO0 miles, the holder becomes entitled
to a refund of the difference between the
amount paid and the net rate of cents
per mile. At the time OF the purchase of
the one-way ticket, the purchaser is fur
nished by the selling agent with certificate
which contains a credit check 10 be de-
tached by the passenger and retained for
making application for the refund the GER
tificate proper which is presented to the
conductor by the holder in connection with
his passage ticket and upon which the pas
Senger places his signature IN the presence
of the conductor. being sent to the mileage
bureau. These permits will be good in the
sale of tickets, issuance of the certificates
and checking of the baggage thereon by
whoever presented. the only condition be-
ing that the refund will not be made unless
the examination of the certificates issued
thereon in the mileage bureau show thar
the 1900 miles have been used by one and
the same person. This arrangement was
adopted by all lines in Eastern committee
territory members of the Western PaSSen-
in that territory, including the Chicago
Great Western, the Wisconsin Central and
the Minneapolis & st. Louis Railroad This
method of handling the Interchangeable
ger Agent Sebastian, of the Rock Island
road.