The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-01-26
E. A. FORD'S POSITION
ANSWERS ATTACKS On 5,OOO-MILE
INTERCHANGEABLE TICKET.
1t Was Issued i'm Good Faith and on a
Legitimate business B~nsis-Sen-
tfments of Commercial Men.

tdckeO from almost every QudTleT. L COnc
to it's defense, as we'll as my own, and
ask a place for this letter in your columns.
1 shall pay no attention to the personal
part of a communication published in the
indianapolis Journal of Jan. IA. 1897. al
legged to ave been written by "A Travel
ing Salesman but evidently inspired by
a jealous railroad man. / shall. however.
combat the differences therein drawn as
to my position regarding the five thousand
mile interchangeable ticket, and show why
we favored its issue and why we assisted
in pushing the matter to a successful con-
clusion in the Central Passenger Commit
tee.
At q conference of representatives of
commercial bodies with members of the
Central Passenger Committee, held at Chi
cago, April q, 1896, Mr.. W. A. Ryan, as
chairman of the visiting delegates of COM
mercial bodies, said:
Our preliminary meeting this morning
unanimously resolved to ask the Central
Passenger Committee to accord the COM
mercial interests of its territory a live
thOusand-mile interchangeable ticket.
Mr.. D.. X. Clink, secretary of Northwest
ern Commercial Travellers Association,
said:
While many Of the representatives pres
ent are commercial travellers they also rep
AOoOtN III Va 1AN - -
delegates to this meeting. Their views
should not be regarded in a personal sense,
but as presenting those of the entire COM
mercial community throughout the length
and breadth of the United States. Viewing
the subject from this standpoint and from
the standpoint of protection and equity,
we are imbued with the idea that the ticket
most beneficial to the mutual interests of
commercial men. their employers and the
railroad companies Is a five thousand-mile
interchangeable ticket"
Mr.. Clink further said:
THE representatives present believe the
five thousand-mile ticket, protected by the
photograph of purchaser. and surrounded
with such other restrictions as may be
found practicable, could not be misused,
and would prove the best means Of protect
roads. 1t Is believed that q photograph
and autograph of the purchaser. assuming
nat ma n employs b OF t me, rdilWay companies hes
lieved the commercial men will perform
theirs. should give adequate and satfsfac-
tory protection. No instance has come to
the knowledge of representatives present
of misuse OF the five thousand-mile photo
graph ticket. The views entertained by the
delegates present, II Is believed, reflect the
conclusions OF hundreds of thousands of
commercial men throughout the country"
Mr.. John A. Lee, president of the Trav-
elers' Protective National Association, said:
There is a thoroughly friendly feeling of
the great body of commercial travellers to-
wards the railways. They recognize that
the railways were not only essential 10 the
avocation of the commercial traveller, but
constituted a mighty force in the develop
ment and broadening of the commercial re-
sources of the country. The gentlemen
present represent the conclusions OF some
seventy thousand commercial travellers act
lively organized. and in the security of their
convictions feel at liberty to present the
views and desires of the great unorganized
contingent of three hundred thousand trav-
cling men, wholly engaged in an avocation
inuring to the mutual prosperity of the rail-
roads and Industrial interests of the coun-
trV- Our preliminary meeting of this morn
ing passed q resolution to the effect that
the Central Passenger Committee should be
Observation-Disclosures, available over all
lines embraced by the committee. and. IL
prsctcable, all lines included In its terri
tory. Such a ticket should be interchange
able and be restricted to the Use of the
original purchaser by reasonable and fair
limitations. protecting not only the inter-
ests of the railroads. but those of the com
mercial traveller as well. The commercial
traveller is not only willing TO cooperate in
such measures of protection. believing 1t is
right and just that the form of transporta-
ton desired should be made to discount the
local fares of the railroads, but for the fur
ther consideration that the success and per-
manency OF the ticket desired must depend
upon legitimate and proper application. The
commercial traveller asks for a hve-thou-
Observation-Disclosures ticket solely as a
matter of convenience
Under date Of April 2s. 1896, President Lee
wrote Commissioners Donald, of the Central
Passenger Committee. as follows:
IF the issuance of the hve-thousand-mile-
interchangeable mileage book depends TO
any extent upon the condition that its
coupons shall be exchanged at ticket offices
for exchange tickets, the inconvenience TO
which travellers would be subjected in that
event would, in my opinion and in the opin-
ion of my colleagues, be inconsiderable as
compared with the advantages 10 be given
us by the issuance of the mileage icket
While there Is some Inconvenience attached
10 making the mileage book good for trans
portation only through the ticket offices,
yet / can see that there are so many advan-
agpa IN the railroads inVOlVe6 I'm rho ar
rangement specified that it might be looked
Upon as an essential condition. and IL so /
feel very confident that all commercial
travellers and commercial interests would be
disposed to concede the point of inconven-
fence through delay in getting tickets"
Mr.. C. NJ. Aldrich. chairman of the Board
of Trade of Peoria, and representing also
the Travellers Protective Association. said:
The request for the 5.0c0-mile inter-
c~hangeable ticket is advanced as a mere
straight up and down business proposition.
The Commercial Traveller has opposed a
fat rate of 2 cents per mile in the various
State Legislatures. IL is believed that the
time has come when mutual concessions be-
tween the commercial and railway interests
must be made on mutual grounds. 1t is
but fair that the local traffic of the rail-
ways, based on 3 cents per mile, should
bring its proper proportion of the revenue.
1t should not be reduced TO 2 cents per
mile. A study of the interchangeable mile
age ticket resolves itself into a simple Ques-
ton as TO the ability of the association OF
such a ticket interchangeably. and sur
rounding il with the necessary protective
measures and proper means, assuring an
equitable accounting as between the roads
honoring coupons of such tickets
The above expressions made by prominent
citizens of the country, who represent that
intelligent and Industrious class of people
known IS commercial travellers. afford the
main reasons why the general passenger
agent of the Pennsylvania and Nandalia
lines labored so diligently for the adoption
of the 5.00O-mile interchangeable ticket.
These sentiments of commercial men make
their own reply to such sarcastic illusions
as the book is made so 1t will not sell"
and this particular ticket is looked upon
as a fake" 1t is not a fake 1t IS is
sued in good faith and is built upon a bust
mess basis suggested and commended by
commercial travellers themselves. Who has
the temerity 10 question either their mo-
tive or their sincerity II Will sell. too. IL
commercial travellers and their friends will
confirm the suggestions made by their rep
resentatives at the Chicago conference
herein referred to-and we have not the
slightest doubt in that direction.
We believe commercial travellers to be
honorable and upright men. and their
pledges concerning the value and use OF
this 5.oOO-mile ticket will be made good-if
the railway companies interested can adopt
way commend itself. OF e~Xpunging the in
Interchangeable features from their 1.OO0-miie
tickets covering n limited territory. and
surround them with equally as wholesome
restrictions as to transfer and misuse a.
now appertain to the central passenger
committees 5.600-miie ticket. which en-
braces nearly twenty thousand (20.0O0) miles
of territory. L ~candidly believe that | voice
the sentiment OF every honest commercial
traveller when L undertake 10 predict that
he will say amen" 10 that proposition.
/ also feel certain that the objection TO