Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-02-24

the road. And, viewed from the private
side of the enterprise. from the private |
business of the money invested In the
railroad. 1t was right and proper, just the
same as a wholesale customer, buying
any kind of merchandise gets a cOnces-
sion for it. This being SO. want to call
your attention for q moment to this
question of wives and families. One of
two things exists with regard to that.
Either the wife of our friend, the travel,
ing man; is a wholesale traveller, or she Is
not. If she is a wholesale traveller 1t is
no more of a hardship for her to buy
mileage than 1t Is for him. If she Is not
and put her on the mileage book. any
more than the woman who lives up the
line and has no husband? In other words,
she travels as an occasional traveller on
the road just as her neighbor does who
has no husband. What fairness would
there be for us to put her on that book,
to put the family upon that book?
Another objection to it is that IT in
creases the so-called scalpinE, and that
has been in measure brought into this
case.
Now gentlemen. If one of you enter in
to IA contract which involves your iden-
tity. special trade which you make
a book and you alohe, mustn't you ex-
pect that some precautions shall be TAX
en- by Il stranger to ascertain your iden-
tity.
Did you ever go into bank where you
were not known with a check payable to
yourself and endorse it and pass it over
have him pass you out the money?
Now. gentlemen. if you were to take
these books and write wife and family
in them, ! submit that it increases the
opportunities for scalping. A book made
good to man. woman and child. the scalp
er dosn't have to have but one book to
accommodate any kind of Il customer.
The management of this road feels. as
l say, that they have already conceded
too much to our genial friends. That
really when these books were first put
upon the market that they didn't real
ize the extent to which they would be
honestly used. and the fact that they are
SO much, has postponed the time when
the single-fare tickets which the occa-
sional traveller buys could be reduced.
1t is a most difficult problem and one
| which gives the management the most
concern. is to know. as ] have SAID 10
you. that whatever concession is to be
made shall be made SO that the pupi1c
shall be in the right place. .,.
Perhaps | may say that the first strik-
ing illustration which came OF IL was
that we found. that our conductors upon
our trains were met by a. gentlemen, who
had the confidence of his people SO far
that he was electeda memberot TINS Leg
islatlire who offered a book, contrary TO
| the contract which he had signed, and
who asked the conductor to take his fare
from that book. Now gentlemen, II IL Is
SO prevalent as tnat IL certainly Is Il
sl Now While lille I would hot for one minute
admit or consent that this Legislature
the matter of detail of this business. for
the reasons that have given to you, !
have to say to you just this: That the
management of the road believes that II
it could be fairly protected against inn
position and against the use of these
books by parties who We're not entitled to
it, under the circumstances. and in re-
Spouse to what has been asked for here.
they would not object to write the word
wife" into this book. In other words.
if this LEGISLATURE would pass some law
which would bring home to these gentle
men who sign these contracts agreeing
that they will ride and they alone Will
ride upon these books the necessity OF
living up to that contract, and treating
the railroad. in regard to that. fairly that
upon the passage of that law the Maine
Central Railroad would write the word
wife into these books.
! might perhaps explain to you what |
mean by a law that would protect us. l
do not mean an anti-Scalping law in the
broad sense. ! mean simply a bill that
would prevent the fraudulent sale and us
of railroad tickets; and to provide pen
If that, or some legislation were to be-
come a law in this State. l say to you
that the Maine Central Railroad Company
| would write the word wife" into this
Now. gentlemen. suppose that in your
wisdom you should see tit to pass TINS
bill. What could the railroad do? l will
tell you first of all what they would do
They would do the best they could under
the circumstances, You would have add
which they could not control That must
be met the same as the roadbed must be
kept up. They would do the best they
could under the circumstances. 1t would
make a large reduction. without any
doubt in the revenues of this road: Now.
what is left open to shem The IN aee rsf
operating. Nobody would want the pay
of the men reduced. They would not be-
The whole yearly compensation is ST.
100000 Of course, a reduction of 10 per
cent. in that pay would cover the reduc-
tion in the revenue which TINS tn 81, m as tG
question; the men do not get any too
much pay: you don't think they do.
Now what else could be done? The ser
vice could be cut down: the summer time
table could be cut down. the number Of
fast trains that are run upon the road
could be cut down. but with what effect?
The road has always believed that the
quickest way to get a surplus that they
might apply to reduction was to keep up
the service: advertising and bringing PEG
policy of cutting down and waiting for
the surplus: that wouldn't do. that IS not
modern railroading and 1t would not De
Well. the next thing that could be done
would be to raise the. freight rates
that. gentlemen. Do you think for one
moment that it would be policy for the
State of Maine to take any acton as
would compel raise in freight rates in
this State?
Now. gentlemen. If you should pass THIS
hill and a reduction should ensue. or #
we had a surplus to distribute. some of
these gentlemen would come in and say
, it should be done upon these mileage
books.
This question is one of great Importance
. and one which is to be considered by you
carefully and treated fairly, and it is one
i'm which I am not afraid to trust this
| Legislature.
Different Kinds OF Pepper.
Very few housewiyes seem to under
stand the difference between the black
| and tho white nennnr and WHY the lat