The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-01-17
SUGGESTION oF.CONiSTENCY..

The Interchangeable Mileage Book-An
"Erp.r. oplnlon''--The Anti.Seaipi, nE
iDIii and Other alatter,.!
The Commercial Traveller, OF st.
Louis, a Journal published in the inter-
ests Of the travelling men Of The country,
has these words to say about the inter-
changeable mileage book: (, N 81
For about fifteen years the travelling
men OF America have been laborlng In
cessantly to secure an interchangeable
mileage book in the territories of the
various passenger associations, and 1t
has only been within the past year that
anything looking to u realization OF this
hope. has been attained. The railroads
have offered many reasons for declining
to issue this form OF transportation,
many Of which have seemed vain and
speclous; but throughout all the contro-
versles which have taken place between
the railroad officials and the representa-
tives Of the travelling fraternity. one
fact has always been strongly empha-
sized by the railroad people, viz: that
perfectly satisfactory form OF inter-
changeable mileage at reduced rate of
fare would never be possible so long as
the ticket broker remained in the field
to threaten the local traffic OF the roads
through the manipulation OF such q
form Of transportation.
Finally yielding to The almost ire
s.stible pressure OF the travelling men
for interchangeable mileage. the Central
Passenger Association last January put
on sale 5000 mile book OF photograph ic
Identification. which the, travellers had
themselves requested. and surrounded
It with such restrictions as were thought
necessary to protect II from misuse.
The book had hardly been. put In the
market before complaints, both numer-
OTIS and varied. began:t pour. In from
all quarters. Some thought the condi-
tions.were arbitrary. burdensome.. and
unnecessary. Some thought it was "a
scheme OF the rail- Dads 10 get possession
of 500 OF the travellers money. for the
several months which must clapsc be-
fore the book could be used np,l while
others said that q 5000 mile book was
too much mileage 10 be compelled to buy
at one time, and that a 900 mile book
ought 10 be issued. & p
In the face or most severe and fire.
quently unjust criticisms. the railroad
people set about trying to modify the
book so as to make II acceptable TO the
travelling men II possible, and last Sep
TENDER put on sale. Il 1000 mile book
without the photographic Identification
rcquirement.Ebu but with such other condi-
lions as they felt were necessary to
properly safeguard its use. This book
had not been on the market week
when some travelling men held n meet
Ing In u certain city and bitterly con-
demned 1t, and all occasional howl from
other quarters would locate the stamps
Ing ground of some other dissatisfied
drummer. Then the roads went to work
to still further modify the book by re-
moving some of the minor restrictions
which they thought might be done with
out throwing the book into the hands OF
the scalpcrs. a. ~. 80
After all this: knowing that they have
perforce been denied concessions which
they might have obtained had It not
been for the scalper. there are numerous
travelling men In the country to-day,
VINO are ready to stand up and says"the
scalper is our friend and ally. and upon
him our salvation depends" i53
Very well. itmay be SO; but the Conn
mcrcial. Traveller does not regard Il In
that light. We have been fighting six
years for interchangeable mileage, and
propose to keep it up for six more II
necessary: but we believe 1t Is poor pol
icy to go to the railroads with one hand
hold out for n favor, while with the
other We hold n knife at their throat.
We are with the boys in the fight for
interchangeable mileage but II ! those
travelling men who have been bowling
Tor 1t so loudly, really want It, we advise
them TO quit unfolding the scalper; IL
they prefer the acalper, then they should
cease stultifyirg themselves by going
to the railroads and demanding intcr,
changeablc mileage, for. the two propo-
sltions are as far apart as the poies.
Let us, ut least, be consistent. -