The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-01-26

BE Increased Enormously, Which
Means Corresponding Decrease
to the Many Thousand Agents to
whom Ii Has GOne-Seyenty-Six
Roads Arc in the Agreement.
The order of the railroad executives
Rbolishing commissions was received
yesterday in circular form by all the city
agents and brokers. The agreement was
announced several days since, but the
formal order, to take effect Feb. l, had
not been circulated. The notice re-
ceived yesterday was signed by repre-
SentativeS of SeVenty-siX roads covering
territory extending from Maine to the
Pacific and from Minnesota to Florida.
All the lines centering in st. Paul are
represented Over $4,000 ticket agents,
general agents and travelling passenger
agents, all personally Interested, will re-
ceive copies Of the official notice.
This is the wording of the Western
lines notification:
Effective Feb. /. 1900. and thereafter,
the railroad companies subscribing here
to will not under any circumstances pay
any sort of stipend or consideration of
any character to ticket agents, brokers
or others for their influence or as COM
mission on sale of passenger tickets over
their lines.
The message from the Central Passen-
ger association quarters has these words
in it:
THE undersigned companies hereby in
divdualy and collectively respectfully
give notice that, effective Feb. l, a. d.
1900, they will discontinue all ticket-com-
mission payments side cuts and any and
all other forms of gratuity or allowance
in connection with the sale Of a passage
ticket or tickets for, or via, their re-
spective lines to and between all points
in the territory bounded by the Atlantic
seaboard on the east and by a line drawn
through Chicago Peoria, st. Louis, con-
river from the latter point to and in
Guiding New Orleans, or via said West
ern gateways:
Before inaugurating the proposed pas
senger pool of all the roads in the coun-
try this anti-commission agreement will
be given a thorough trial. Reports as
to it's maintenance will be submitted to
the joint meeting of the railroad presi-
dents with the interstate commerce COM
missioners, to be held in New York on
March Z. If. it is found that some of the
weaker lines are losing business the for
nation of the pool will proceed and each
road will be allotted regular percentage
of the business
The revenues of the railroads will be
mission payments, but the ticket agents
at large commercial centers will be SCI
we're sufferers. ri The income of some
> of these men from commissions amount
ed to more than the salary paid to gen
eral passenger agents. Scalpers will find
1t hard rworl7znow tos make living.
The practice of paying commissions
long has been considered the main cause
for the Constant generalization in pass
caOo-aT rates
The circular will have the effect Of
tightening up the making of commissions
at once, though several off the city
agents interviewed yesterday stated that
there was some doubt whether under
stress of business the circular can be
maintained in effect. 1t is pointed out
that when business begins to increase
after the present lull, the fight for traf-
} fic will recommence, with the effect that
it will be difficult to carry out the spirit
and text of the agreement.
The 500 line has not agreed to the ac-
ton of the executives. of the other lines
and the signature of a 500, representa-
tive cannot be found on the circular. A
st. Paul official of the line gave out the
information yesterday that commissions
are still being paid by both the 500 and
the Canadian Pacific. Some idea OF
what the action will cost the ticket
agents is gained from a statement made
yesterday by a local railroad man.
"Do you know what commissions mean
in a city such as st. Louis or Chicago?' he
asked. 81. have seen, the checks which
agents in such Cities have received and
I want to state that their profits from
this line OF, business will average month
ly twQs three and i ip 2 s9ms cases four
times their regular salary. I have known
agents who received as high as $500
month from commissions alone. In the
instance Ct Which 5Ps SEX the Tbe agent sams
has, no doubt, held true in st. Paul and
Minneapolis with due allowance for the
comparison in population"