The evening times., 1898-12-09
PASSAGE OF THE
ANqE-SCALPING BILL
Opponents of the Measure
Taken by Surprise.
UNLOCKED : FOR ACTION
General Belief That 1t Will Not
Pass the Senate.
4 Prominent Broker Discusses the
Subject-Nieu of ~ TrHy cling
Nan.

Opponents of the anti-scalping bill de-
clared that their defeat in the House
Wednesday was due 10 the fact that The
bill was brought up at time when more
than one-third OF the members were alb
sent
number of prominent ticket brokers
said today that they were taken entirely
unawares. as they did not expect the
measure TO come up until later in the ses-
sion. It is the general belief that the bill
will never pass the Senate II IL does the
local ticket brokers declare their inten-
tiOn of attacking the constitutionaIity of
the bill in the Court of Appeals. In this
they will be supported by the National
Ticket Brokers Association and the Tick
ct Brokers Guaranty Company
THAT our business is legitimate one,
said prominent broker today, has been
decided by the New York court OF ap-
peals. The measure was introduced at
the instigation Of the railroad companies
who would like to drive us out OF The
business. This bill is simply the fOrerun-
ner of the pooling bill whereby the rail
road companies Will have a monopoly Of
the ticket business. The ticket brokers
W. bipit " supply Li4t LII|titlB pubic
with cheap transportation than any other
organization in existence. TIE railroad
companies realize that with the ticket
brokers driven out of business they will
! be able to regulate the sale OF tickets as
I they please. Tickets will be sold with
restrictions that it viii be very inconveu-
lent for the travelling public 10 comply
with their stipulations
Now, If person buys a ticket and does
] ~f,F 1.
can be realized upon it through our 5geu-
cies. We never handle any but bona fde
tickets and such ara sold with our guar
aHtee. All this talk about the unr-l ability
! OF our business il rot. ! never YET heard
of ticket broker belonging 10 either Of
/ our associations selling a bad ticket
Another cry against our business i
that it encourages the handling Of stolen
I property. / suppose that for the same
/ reason the companies will want 10 stop
/ the selling Of clothing. jeweIry or any
other line of merchandise that can or may
/ be stolen.
| prominent travelling man said: The
I passage of the anti-scalping bill by the
Senate will be d great blow 10 the in
/ terests OF the travelling men. I have been
riding on scaIpers' tickets for the last
I twenty years and have never vet expert
enccd the slightest Inconvenience, besides
q StNliiS Il -tISc amount OF money. II = =
/ scheme Of the railroads to control the
ticket business, ard if IL was NOT 70 their
interest and the dstriment of the public
you would not see them advocating The
bill
| Senator TiIIman, of the Senate Com
! mittee on Interstate Commerce. express
| ed the opinion this morning that the
/ anti-scalping bill would strike a ''saaG
in the Senate. I'VE investigated that
matter last winter he said. and
I brought the railroads up standing We
proved that the scaipers could not exist
/ without the cooperation of railroad
I companies and that this whole agitation
is a scheme by the big railroad corpora
tions To freeze out the little fellows An
( aHti-sCalpiHs bill was referred (" our
: committee during the last session. but
| We decided not to take action upon ii
until We took up the entire question of
! amending the interstate commerce act