New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-05-29
BUSINESS HENS EXCURSIONS.
MERCHANTS ASSOCIATION ARRANGES FOR
REDUCED RATES WITHIN WIDE
RADIUS OF TERRITORY.

Tho Merchants Association OF New-York City
has made Arrangements with the railway lines
tending from this city as far west as Chicago and
s., Louis "a far south as the Ohio River and
baltimore and Washington FAR east as the
border-line OF the New England States. and north
into Canada FOR reduced rates FOR merchants who
are nonresident members OF the association and
the members OF their immediate families. The ter
rtory has been dlSided into two parts. and the re-
duced rates have been granted for separate series
Of dates for each. The earlier dates for tho
more distant territory This Is bounded on the
west by Chicago and 81. Louis. on the south by
the Ohio River but taking In that portion OF
Northern Kentucky which Is trlyersed by the
Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company: on the
east. but not Including Suspension Bridge. Niagara
Falls Tonawanda Black Rock Buffalo. East Buf-
falo Buffalo Junction. Dunkirk and Salamanca.
y Y Erie Plttsburg and Allegheny Penn: Bell
sire Ohio Wheeling Parkersburg. Huntington and
Gauley Bridge. W. Va.
Tho dates upon which the reduced rates will be
In effect In that territory are from August to 10
inclusive and from August 2; TO 81 inclusive. The
tickets be sold between those dates will be good
10 return for thirty days from the date OF sale
The price Of each ticket will he al the rate OF one
fare and one-third FOR the round trip from the
point Of departure.
The second territory Is east OF and including the
cities named above. running south TO Baltimore
and Washington and east TO the New England
States. Tho dates upon which the reduced fare
will be In eefec; IN this second territory are Sep
tember TO inclusive and September 10 To "A in
elusive. The rate OF fare in this second territory
will ne the for the nrst-namsd territory.
but the period Of time within which the tickets Will
be good return home will be only fifteen days
from tho date OF sale
The governing railway associations granted re-
duced rates TO merchants throughout all these
territories last winter. hut limited the time OF
;he selling OF the tickets and limited the time
within which those tickets good 20 return
home to fifteen days In all instances. This WIS
not at all satisfactory in what is known as the
Joint Traffic Association territory. for the reason
that fifteen days did not give merchants sufficient
time to come from their homes to New-lork 10
examine the markets here satisfactorily and make
ihSr purchases ana isaye within me required mdt;
the railroads to grant the same period OF time for
sne return mt or the territory as was
accept the limit OF fifteen days for the territory
The method by which these reduced rates are
made available Is on what is known as the certih.
the reduced from his territory pays his full
fare coming to New,York and obtains at the same
ticket a certificate. which must be countersgned
and stamped with The regular stamp: When the
merchant reaches Network he must register at
livers up this certificate receiving receipt for II
after he has been properly Identified as being the
which he desires to return home he delivers up his
receipt at the Offices OF the Merchants Associa-
official OF the Merchants Association appointed for
that purpose whose signature Is accepted by the
railroad association and by an Official OF the rail
way associations who Is on duty In the Offices OF
the Merchants Association for the purpose of thus
countersigning certificates. The certificate then
being properly countersigned Is accepted by the
road As two-thirds of the merchants return fare
he paying therefore, only onethird OF the fare to
his home. One OF the conditions. however. OF the
reduction Ia that the merchant must return over
the road by which he came TO New York. Last
year. for the first time In the history OF New-York
reduced rates were granted 10 merchants In this
at the request OF the Merchants Associa-
ton The Merchants Association In turn guaran-
teed 70 the roads that not less than Ave hundred
persons would take advantage OF the reduced rites
from the representative territoriesin fact putting
up a cash guarantee to that enect--and also guar
anteed to the roads that the Merchants Associa-
ton would take and make good At full tarn
rates all tickets which might be found TO have
been used unlawfully or which might be picked
up in the hands OF scalpcrs.
During all Of last summer when large numbers
OF merchants took advantage Of the reduced rates
and came to New York. and when the work OF the
Merchants Association resulted In a boom for the
commercial interests OF the city not one OF those
. tickets went wrong. and the Merchants Associa-
ton exceeded its guarantee to the railroad nsso-
citation several times over.