The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-12-12
AGITATION ABOUT
GOSSIP RELATING TO FREE TRANS
PORTATION AFTER JAN. L.
Chairman MidgIey Opens Campaign
for n Freer Movement OF Cars. and
FavOrs the Per Diem system.

The pass situation is becoming interest
ing. While the impression prevails that
it will not grow serious in this territory.
it has considerably disturbed matters and
is the chief topic of conversation between
railroad men who are to receive passes.
The roads. fortunately are crowded with
freight, but there is ample room for the
passenger men to work, as passenger bust
ness has fallen off considerably within the
last few days. This is not unusual. how
ever. just before the holidays. Ii is con-
coded that in trunk-line territory no passes
will be issued good over any other than
the line with which the travelling passen-
ger or freight representative of the road
is connected. There will be trouble in
Big Four or Pennsylvania men getting
passes over their respective systems but
the trunk-line association roads, accord
ing to the agreement, will not issue passes
to employees. When the trunk-line asso-
citation met and decided to abolish the ex-
change of passes the Baltimore & Ohio,
the New York Central, the Pennsylvania,
the Erie and the Lackawanna were the
ruling spirits. The other lines did not
raise any great tumult, however much they
may have disliked the action, but when
the Central Passenger Association the
presidents of the four roads expected to
dictate terms much on the same basis as
did the trunk lines. The Cleveland Leader
says: THE little fellows had been grossly
underestimate. Presidents Norton of the
Glover Leaf, Ramsey of the Wabash,
Woodford of the c., II. & D.. the Wheeling
& Lake Erie, the Ohio Central. the Hook
ing Valley, the Columbus, Sandusky q
Hooking and the Canadian Pacific and the
Grand Trunk bolted and the bolt of the
other lines caught the Big Four in the
vortex, and to protect it's interests il had
to enter the lists of the roads as inimical
result the roads which concocted the plan
in New York of binding the lines in this
territory find themselves in a solitary pO-
sition. ard their adherence to their own
measure has become question of dura-
ton only. In speaking of the duration OF
the agreement an official says after a GER
tain time has expired the executives will
be calling for reports of expense accounts
of their travelling men on other lines and
what has been received for agents goine
over their lines, and unless one account
evens up the other. or comes pretty close
to it, it will increase the prejudice against
the refusal to issue exchange passes. There
is still a possibility of the strong lines
who inaugurated the movement reconsider
ing the matter. They may try it for q
month, but he thought they would be sick
of the whole business by that time. He
thought the action of the presidents hao
not only been haSty, but ill-advised at this
particular time. They are certainly not
consistent in deciding upon this abolition
and at the me time frankly acknowledg-
! ing that they cannot cut off legislators AND
other politicians. 1t seems to me that In
making the acknowledgment the presi
dents weakened the agreement in favor OF
/ a