Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-10-10
ABoLisHlNe RAILWAY PASSES.
1Chicago Tribune.

The action of railway officials look
| ing toward the abolition of the free
pass system is entirely commendable.
The Tribune approves the idea with
complete sincerity, since it has for
years refused to accept free passes or
to permit their use by any one con-
nected with the paper. 1t has cut loose
! from the deathbed idea altogether and
| has prospered increasingly in conse-
lquence. The railroads will be bene-
fitted IL they carry out their proposed
plan of placing thir passenger traffic
wholly upon a business basis. There
| is every reason why the recommends
ton of the committee should receive
| the endorsement of the various traffic
associations and be put into force
without reservation or exception. The
roads have much to gain and nothing
to lose. BY acting unitedly and i'm
partially they can rid themselves of an
labuse that has grown to be expensive
and mischievous.
/ The free pass system is unjust to the
passengers who pay fares and is a
| source OF loss to the roads. 1t is I'M
business-like and is a cause of per-
petual annoyance to the companies.
Il
the greater the pressure for more free
rides and the bitterer the feeling of le-
climate passengers toward the dead
Fheads. Hcw extensive the abuse has
| become may be seen in almost any
pullman car. where the conductor is as
likely as not to find as many passes as
| paid tickets. The roads could increase
their dividends and give better service
to the general public IL they would
carry out absolutely their proposition to
make everybody pay fare. They
could afford to increase the pay of e1n-
ployes to the extent of necessary trans
portation for which passes are now
issued.
It is to be feared however, that
/ when 1t comes to the test the roads
will not make their action so sweeping
as they now talk of making IT, The
|pressure upon the various offices for
passes is enormous and perpetual. AT
the time of the passage of the inter-
Estate commerce law there was general
movement to abolish both local and
long distance passes. The new law at
forded the railways good opportunity
Ito make a fresh start on the sounder
basis, and for a while 1t resulted in a
considerable lessening of the nuisance.
but OF recent years the abuse has
grown again to formidable proportions.
II the railways merely repeat this half
hearted operation they will accomplish
nothing. 1t would be unjust to cut off
the free passes OF some and continue
Those OF others, or to abolish all for q
short time and then begin issuing them
again to the most persistent applicants.
4 To be just and effective the action
should be comprehensive and final. 1t
should be so comprehensive that even
the president of a railroad. when tray
cling in his private car over other lines.
will give then, due bills on his corpora
/ ton for the proper amount OF trackage
charges, thus eliminating the last ves-
Itige OF the free pass system. The
officials of every road should refuse
absolutely to be under obligations to
other lines for courtesies that have a
money value. II the smallest root or
remnant of the old system be allowed
to remain it will grow and spread as
before.