The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-01-16
ELKINS NOT SURPRISED THAT
THEY OPPOSE ,JTHE ANTI
SCALRiEG BILL.
STAND OF TRAVELLING MEN.
1T IS SAID THEY WANT TO SEE
THE BUSINESS ABOL-
ISHED.
More Testimony Before the Commit
tee InGuiring Into the Facts
In the Case.

In the Case.
WASHINGTON Jan. 15.-The senate
committee on interstate commerce this
| morning at 1915 o'clock resumed it's
hearing on the anti-scalping bill. Pend
ing the resumption of the testimony
of George NJ. Mckenzie, of Chicago.
statement was submitted to the COM
mittee by Bret W. Lyon, editor of the
Commercial Traveller, of ST. Louis.
Lyon said that ]. F. Fely, of Chicago,
and P. e. Dow. of New York, did not
represent the 100000 travelling sales
men Of the country. While he did not
desire to be understood to be claiming
to represent all the commercial tray-
elers of the country, he was absolutely
satisfied that the great majority of
these travellers are in favor of the
pending bill. He thought it absurd to
suppose, as Messrs. Fely and Dow
would have the committee suppose,
that thousands of commercial travel
ers could not make arrangements with
the railroads as favorable to them
selves as the few thousand ticket brok-
erS could make for them If it were
not for the severe restrictions placed
by the railroads upon local rates made
necessary by the business of the ticket
brokers it would be possible for COM
mercial travellers to make much better
arrangements for their TRANSFORMATION
than they are now able to make. Mr.
Lyon held that as business PROPOSE
ton the railroads could afford to sell
transportation in great quantities at a
lower rate than they could sell small
quantities. He held, therefore, that the
commercial traveller, who was on the
railroads, practically all the time. was
entitled to lower rates than the person
who travels only occasionally, and then
a short distance.
Mr.. Mckenzie, the Chicago ticket
broker. then resumed his testimony
He presented affidavits from various
ticket brokers in Chicago. ST. Louis,
Boston and other cities. setting forth
that they had purchased tickets di-
rectly from authorized agents of rail
roads and'In some cases receiving COM
missions thereon. In response to in
quirieS by Senator Cullom, Mr. McKen-
zie named along the lines with which
he had done business in Chicago, the
Big Four, Chicago Great Western, Chi
cago, Burlington & Quincy, Chicago &
Alton, Union Pacific, Monon route
Wisconsin Central, Canadian Pacific
and Rock Island. He was unable to
afford the committee details and par.
ticulars concerning the business done
with those lines a.
Senator Elkins inquired what the an
nual volume of Mo McKenzie's. bust
ness was, and he. replied that it aggre-
gated last year $3.50, 600.
mo worder you are making a fight
against this BILL said Mr.. Elkins ~.
The questioning of Mr.. Mckenzie,
brought out the statement that the
bulk of his business was done over the
weak lines. He said he could do little
business with the Canadian Pacific. be-
cause a law of Canada prohibited brok-
erage in railroad tickets within the
limits of the Dominion. -"-
Mr.. Mckenzie did not say that he
himself had received commissions from
the railroads for the sale of tickets,
but he presented statements from other
brokers that they had been promised
commissions from various railroads.
PROOF WANTED.
Senator Tillman asked sharply:
Cant you produce some absolute proof
in the shape Of cancelled checks that
the railroad men who have appeared
have lied? That's what we are trying
to set at" 81
Mr. Mckenzie then Submitted some
further statements Of brokers, a few
of which had attached to them can
celed checks
Can you state5?' inquired Senator
Cullom, what lines give up person.
ally commissions 90 IL
'I have been here several weeks"
replied Mr.. McKefzieIs "ard I cannot
say what the exact conditions in my
Office now are"
well. don't yeu know persisted
Nc Cnilom, what is being done in
your Office in Chica goIwkether or not
You are getting commissions?
Il really cannotR says' was Mr. Nc
KenZie's reply, whether my office is
now receiving commissions from rail-
roads or not" Mr. Mckenzie said that
since the present discussion was opened
some of the railroads had Withdrawn
their business from the brokers.
When pressed for the names of lines
he named only the wisconsin Central
He admitted that he was not doing
business. and had not been for long
time with the Pennsylvania, Baltimore
& Ohio and other lines.
do you, as brokers' inquired Sena-
tor Cullom. 'pay heed to the state law
requiring that no railroad tickets shall
be sold except by authorized agents
of the railroads."
1--WE pay nc attention to that law"
replied Mr.. Mckenzie.
''You say" said Senator Elkins. that
in 1894 you did a business aggregating
S6e0 zoo; now, what was your profit on
that business?"
Il will say" replied Mr.. McKeryie
that in that year-my partner and I
had five Offices. Our aggregate bust
ness was 81 $4,000, and our net profits
about S37, 000
In the course of Mr.. McKenzie's