The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-12-07
RAILROAD NEWS.
Railroads Want an Anti-Scalp-
er Ordinance in Topeka.
In Preparation For the Mid
winter Exposition.
AROUSING SENTIMENT.
Circulars Concerning Ticket
Scalping Being Sent Out.
Officials Don't Have Much to Say
About 1t.
AROUSING SENTIMENT.

An effort will be made by representa-
tives of the Santa Fe, Rock Island,
Union Pacific and Missouri Pacific rail-
roads to secure the passage by the To-
peka city council of an anu-uckee
scalper ordinance, which shall impose
a prohibitive license on the business OF
ticket scalping. They hope to secure
this action before the time of the mid
winter exposition
The railroads claim that it will be
good thing for the town TO have such
an ordinance, because all the ROADS
would then feel kindly disposed toward
Topeka, and give it whatever it wants
in the way of cut rates for future res
rivals and other big public gatherings
One of the leading passenger officials
located in the city said today;
The passage of an anti-scalper ord1-
nance in Topeka would be the best
thing Topeka ever did. 1t would pro-
tect the travelling public, and would
make the railroads give the wants Oh
the town the most careful consideration
Take the case of Ell PaSo, which has a
strict anti-scalping law. The many
railroads which center there appreciate
this fact and they give FL Paso what
ever it asks for. The roads are now
about to commence the erection of an
i'm mense union depot for the town.
Other cities which have shown that
they are in favor of legitimate railroad
business get the best treatment from
the roads. I wish Topeka would try
the experiment, and shut out all the
ticket scalperS. While SO men may ride
safely on scalpers tickets, the hum
dredth man will get caught, and the
chances are he is some poor fellow who
can't pay his fare. He gets put OF the
train and it's bad business all around"
Just at the present time the roads IN
Topeka, as at other points, are sending
out large quantities of literature cal
culated to inform people about the
ticket scalping business, as seen from
the railroads standpoint The Htera-
ture is composed of extracts fron var
Ions -cr,r1r ac,r
the railroad has added a moral in big
black type. The following are some OF
the morals:
Each day brings evidence of the fact
that the character of the ticket scalping
business is being more fully recog-
nized-"
The above editorial properly ex-
presses the views of thinking people,
and can not but impress the reader as
to the iniquity of the ticket scalper's
business"
the ticket scalper lives by fraud"
There is something very N Mysterious
about these little circulars. The rail-
road officials manifest the most amaz-
ing ignorance concerning them
who are these circulars being sent
to2" was asked today of an official who
was giving instructions to a mailing
clerk in regard to sending out a big
stack of the little inoffensive looking
anti-scalper documents.
I don't know. I'm sure was the
reply; -, 49,, 80.
L don't know. They were given to
me by Mr. -" mentioning his next
superior officer.
Does the road get them out?''
Il don't know. Now don't ask so
many questions. Can't you see that we
don't Wit to get this business into the
papers? We don't want everybody to
know where these circulars come from"
1t is believed that the circulars are
being sent to newspapers and to prom
inent men for the purpose of arousing
public sentiment throughout the state.
1t may be that the anti-scalper cam
paign which the roads have inaugural
ed is preliminary to an attempt to Sc
cure some stringent state legislation on
the subject
AS a sample of the circulars which
the roads are sending out are the fol-
lowing, copied from the batch which
was started out from Topeka. in yes
terday'S mail:
From the Austin, Tex, Current Issue,
October, 1901: Convention centers and
cities like San Antonio and Dallas, that
annually attract great numbers of Wis
1torS TO their eXpOSiuOnS, are finding it
more difficult with each succeeding year
to secure reduced round-t trip rates from
the railroads. This is not to be mar
Veled at when one considers the fact
that. whenever these reduced rates are
put on. the ticket scalper springs to the
fore all hungry for business All trains
leading into points that enjoy the round
rely for their visitors, are boarded at
out-of-town stations by the ticket
brokers who solicit the passengers for
their return coupons Travellers not en-
Titled to the privilege of the reduced
rate, of course dispose of the unused
portions of their tickets while others
who will return to their homes fall prey
to the ticket vultures upon the idea
that when they have exhausted their
stay they can buy cheap transpor IA ton
from the ticket scalpers whose alll1r-
ing tarin boards literally line the thor
ooSnIareS- All this is demoralizing to
passenger traffic. unjust to the railroads
and contrary to sound public policy"
From the Louisville Courier Journal
november .. 1901: Hundreds of tick
cts purchased from dishonest brokers
nave been taken up by the railroads on
the trains out of Buffalo, and their
holders obliged to pay their fare or
ger on the train This in all cases has
been serious annoyance, and in very
many cases an absolute hardship IN
view OF the universal condemnation of
the business by those who have in
Nesugated it. 1t would seem as if tns |
papers throughout the country col1ld
perform no better service for the pub
lie than to warn them against the pur-
chase OF tickets from the brokers par
ticularly is this necessary in the ,-,,ral
districts and in local papers Peopi,a
living in large cities have no excuse for |
ignorance on this subject The great
ua1l1eS have time and again DubliShe5 |
accounts of the frauds perDetra ted and
the danger of dealing with scalpers is
generally understood at such points
1t is rare, however, that the country
papers give place to items of this char
acter, and it would be an act of posi-
tive value to their readers if the T1Iral |
press would set forth the danger which |
attends any transactions with the tick
ct scalpers' -
From the Railway Age, November 1.
lSo1- Inc business men of San An
tonic. Texas, are level headed on the |
subject of ticket scalping at the present |
time They are organizing a great fair
ana realizing that in order to afford |
low rate tickets the railways must be |