The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-02-11
The Mileage-Book Controversy.

To the Editor of the indianapolis Journal:
While it is a waste of time, generally, to
reply to any statements made in the public
prints by railroad officials the article pub
Hshed in the Journal a few days ago as
coming from Mr.. Ford should be answered
I should judge he has heard something drop
in reference to a 2-cent law in this State
by the next Legislature; at the same time
he cannot help telling what great and
good thing the new interchangeable mileage
is for the railroads Il agree with him), and
is positive he can in five minutes convince
any sane man that the exchange ticket
feature is just what the commercial travel
ers want. Let him go to the Union Station
any Monday morning, and l think it will
take him the balance of the year to con-
vince the men that he finds lined up there.
waiting their turn to exchange their mile
age (for which they paid cents a miIe)
for ticket, all because Mr. Ford is afraid
to trust his employees to receive mileage
coupons. At that time these men, who
make business for these roads, are not very
sane. He speaks about its convenience be-
cause it covers so many roads. My last
book already has some twelve or fifteen
roads erased; let them so on and in a few
months have it down to individual roads
at 50 book and exchange ticket besides
for 2-cent fare? Again, Mr. Ford saws
make a 2-cent tariff and we will cut off
trains, make you ride on freights, etc, and
it will require three days for the CONNER
cia1 traveller to visit two towns. OF course
the companies can do SO if they wish. Mr.
Ford talks about the great conveniences
for commercial men at the present time
fine connections, etc. Suppose I cite a few:
for Instance, | will take the Pennsylvania
system, the old Vandalia, not as it was
but as it is. | want to make PIainfieId
Clayton, Coatsville, etc, all some seven
miles apart l go to Plainfield at 7:20 a..
p. M; in the meantime, from 1920 a. m.
until p. m, some three other trains have
gone west through Plainfeld (about fifty
miles per hour) Take the |. & V. Coming
from Spencer, Ind, ] wish to so to Bloom
lngton, on the Monon. arrive at GoSport,
the crossing of the Monon with the L. q V.
from Spencer; the MOnOn train has departed
about four minutes before the /. q " ar
r1ves. 1t is 1880 p. m, and you can go to
bloomington at 1 a. m next day. Go down
the j., NJ. & /. at $40 a. m. or $40 a. m.
1925 p. m, p. m. or y. m. all the after
noon trains one hour or less apart. / am
not kicking about the manner of running
these trains. Most of them are fast trains
and these will not be cut Off under a 2-cent
law. Competition is too great; and if the
local trains are cut off the small towns
will have no train service. ! think the idea
a good bluff If you are not caught at it. The
railroads have rights that should be re-
Spected at all times, and by none more than
the commercial men. / use fifteen mileage
books a year, calling for $3.50, with $3.50
drawback when the books are used up
don't object to this, but these same people
should not require me to leave my home
an hour and a half earlier each Monday
morning than necessary or cause me to
waste thirty or forty minutes of time two
Change tie system or try 2-cent law
Indianapolis. Feb. 10. w. II. N.