Evening star., 1898-11-22
AFTER THE SCALPERS.
Organization Formed to AbOIisl
BROKERAGE I'm r. r. Tickets


One Of the most energetic and far-reach-
ing movements against ticket scalping ever
formed, it is said, has been organized and
it's representatives are expected to be in
Washington in a few days, in order to ask
Congress early in the coming session for
legislation to wipe out the ticket brokerage
in the United States The movement is
not only backed by the railway companies,
but is indorsed by the chamber of commerce
of large number of the cities and towns
throughout the country, and the execution
of carefully devised plans has been placed
in the hands Of Mr.. A. H. Compton of Chi
cago, chairman of ths National Merchants
and Travellers Association.
In a letter received here Mr.. Compton
says:
1T has simply come to this in railroad
affairs, that IL ticket scalpers are not
crushed out entirely and at once the rail-
way companies must do away with railroad
tickets altogether and we must pay cash
on the trains, as we do on street cars.
Business firms must have better rates than
they are getting now for their travellers,
and as long as things are so we cannot
expect it, as the roads must protect thsm-
selves.
1.-The ticket forgers are killing the roads
The forgery of tickets to be sold by scalp
ers is something surprising. Recently a
forged ticket was gotten out, and before
the railroad people could learn what was
the matter there were s., 500 worth of them
sold There was another forged ticket, of
which the sales amounted to 5000 before
the railroad people knew that forger was
at work. There was also a forged Balti-
more and Ohio book, of which 20,0 900 were
sold before it was detected. Forging rail-
road tickets has become business. The
only way to kill off and protect the rail-
roads is to kill off the scalpers, and that is
what we are now after. If we haven't the
scalper we won't have the forged tickets,
for the makers will then havs no place to
sell their bad wares.
THE National Association of Merchants
and Travellers represents not less than
10000 concerns In the west, and we feel
that we have a right to demand & rate; but
at the same time, we realize that the rail-
roads are severely handicapped and under
existing conditions can do no better. Our
sole aim and object now is to kill off the
scalpar, so that the railroad people may
get chance to give US prices. That is
why we are going to Washington. The
scalper gets in his work after the many
conventions held yearly. In the central
and western districts there are 1900 con-
ventions held yearly, which in itself means
great amount of money: Some of the
scalpers in the different cities have becoma
very adept in forging, and in many cases
the signature Of the agent, who is suppos-
ed to stamp all return tickets after a con-
vertion, has BEEN forged and many thou
sands of dollars worth of tickets gathered
unstamped and sold again. The scalper,
as a class, has become very expert, and
we must sit on him or our business win
be killed entirely"
The scalpsrs realize that there is to be
an effort to demolish their business, and
at convention held in st. Louis a few
days ago they resolved to fight all antag-
onistS with every weapon that they could
legally command.