The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-01-26
NO MORE COMMISSIONS.
The System Is Sure to Be Abolished Feb.
ruary |.
COMPROMISE OF A SUIT WAS EFFECTED
Conductors Met Here--Internation
Route Hospital-Timber ana Tie
Contrnct--Notcs and Personals.

There is no doubt the system OF pay
ing commissions on ticket sales must 20.
February is the date for the abolition
OF the custom, and 1t is understood that
the agreement between the railroads OF
the country Is so binding that not road
in the United States will pay commissions
after February 1,
1t must be understood that the Eastern
lines were not the only ones paying com
missions. The agents In Texas received
their commissions from Eastern lines on
business ed, but the Texas lines have
been paging commissions to those agents
in the East who sent business this way.
There are two or three ways to look at the
question, and every standpoint figures out
differently. A good RAILROAD man can take
the position Of tne agent and can figure
out that the commission is a good one;
he can take the position Of the general
passenger department ana figure out mat
! it is bad one. and II he discusses the
question from the standpoint of travelling
passenger agent he can figure it either
way. In the general passenger Offices OF
all the roads in the country the system Is
! condemned They believe that an agent
ought 10 be paid a salary and that ne
should sell tickets wherever he can. The
Texas lines have mad their travelling pas
senger agents and their immigration
agents In various parts of the country
looking up business from time to time.
/ Whenever one of these agents gets a pas
senger or a party OF passengers he can
do nothing more than take them to a
ticket agent OF some line and see that they
| get tickets via his route. The agent OF
the Texas line has gotten the business
aud the ticket agent OF some other line
gets a commission. Another way to look
at it is this: few days after the trav-
| cling passenger agent has been into the
ticket office mentioned, with his party,
the ticket agent finds man who Is coming
to Texas. There are several ways he can
| be routed, and each route will pay the
agent commission. The ticket agent re-
members however. that the travelling pas
senger agent has just a few days ago
brought his business for which he secured
a commission and 1t caused him no exer-
ton. He starts his man out over the
same route, and thus the company gets
another passenger.
That Is some Of the argument, and there
is tons of it which can be presented The
roads believe however, that 1t is better
30 take chances. When COMMISSIONS are
not paid, all roads are on an equality.
II is naturally to assume that IL no road
pays commissions that the agent will give
ali chance at It. and possibly the pas
sengers will be given better opportunity
to select their own route. and the one they
like best. No agent will turn down a
sale. They want TO keep up the average
sales of the office. aud every effort will
be made TO prevent decrease being
shown.
telegram was resolved by Passenger
Traffic Manager S. r. Morse of the South
ern Pacific yesterday advising him that
all roads have agreed to the mo COM
mission" plan. and that his road is bound
with the others. The telegram furthei
states that under no conditions can COM
missions be paid after February l.