The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-02-04

some members Of the r. p. A. introduced
the above measure by resolution but it was
voted down for the reason that the COM
mercial men at that time were getting a
good as the measure offered namely. 2
cents per mile. Since that time a portion
OF the roads have entered into an agree
ment, whereby they issue what they call
an interchangeable 1000 mileage ticket,
good on such roads as have or do belong
10 their own combination. 1t is not ac-
Indiana. 1t is not accepted any
where on trains. 1t is simply a
permit to travel for cents per mile pro-
vided you 80 to the station in time to ex-
change your coupons for ticket. yet it
costs you cents a mile to buy It, with the
proViso that if you are good boy as long
as your ticket lasts they will rebate you
l cent a mile. This so-called ticket has
never been acceptable TO local travelling
men on account of its Inconvenience. Since
its Introduction they have used every Ell
fort in a gentlemanly way to have the
ticket so modified as to be useful to them,
but to all thier pleadings SO far q mute
silence has been given.
Again, at the last meeting of the State
Association, at the request OF a number
of travelling men, read some resolutions
passed at a mass meeting held in this city
Oct. 8, and one that provided that in case
the railroads did not grant the favor asked
making the mileage book good and accept
able or trains in Indiana, we would vote
tor no man for state senator or representa-
tive III the Legislature who did not pledge
himself to vote for a law making cents
mile the legal rate for travel After some
discussion a rising vote was called for
which resulted in it's adoption unanimously,
and towering over the heads of everybody
in the chamber was that of Mr.. Yelm. /
made no speech on that occasion but ] beg
TO call your attentlon to the stenographef ,
report of that meeting, when the resolu-
tons had been read to the speech of Mr..
Ielm, who said:
1T is a great pleasure for me to stand
here to-day and see my friend Mcpherson
acknowledge that we were right a year ago.
that we should make every endeavor that
was reasonable and right to secure a 2-cent
fiat fare and demand the enactment OF SUCH
a law in our legislative halls You all re-
member how it was fought by Brother Nc
Pherson and the pictures he drew of the
railroad man. and how he would suffer at
the hands of the Legislature (applause);
how the railroads would go into the hands
of receivers and be bankrupt; we almost
felt like starting out and raising a subScrip-
ton to maintain the railroads so that we
would not have to make our towns by
walking, carrying our grips. / am willing to
heartily cooperate now, as / was willing
a year ago. with any effort to secure proper
say, as chairman of the railroad commit
tee of the Travellers Protective AsSocla-
ton, if there is any task in which we will
have to use every effort, and every endeaV-
or, it is that. ] have written something like
nine hundred letters and over soliciting
changes. and had an interview with some
of the managers on the 5th of october
and some changes. were secured ! have
written to the agents of the largest lines
or the United states, ana Lney nave Sdld
that they would fight for Photographic
book, good and to be honored on all trains
in the circuit. (Applause) Now l hope
these resolutions win pass. If we had
passed them without dissenting voice in
this hall a year ago no doubt but what
it would have had great influence in the
legislative halls. If the members would re-
spond to the LAB letters that I wrote and
go to work in our legislative halls and else
where, with what help we could get, We
could secure some concessions from the
railroads Of this. country but they do not
see why they should do anything for us
now. I got nine replies from those letters
two favorable. As long as the travelling
men do not take any more interest In it
than that the railroads are not going to
concede anything to us. / hope this reso-
luton will pass
Thus spoke Mr. Yelm six weeks ago, and
as | have already stated, the resolutions
passed unanimously. In order to carry out
the work, a committee of six was APP
pointed, equally divided politically, with
Mr.. Yelm as chairman. He is still a mem
Der of that committee, although having
written a letter to another member that
his business would not admit of his serv-
ing as chairman. However the work will
go on, as the sudden change or flop of one
man will not stop it.
CAREY MCPHERSON.
Indianapolis Feb. 2.