The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1902-02-23
PLANNING TO ABOLISH
THE FREE PASS SYSTEM
Railroads Endeavoring to Bring About an Honclad
Agreement to Discontinue the Giving Of
Free Transportation.

businsss q an Uuiess ethsrw1ss Gnesep
"a BY the shippers. railways will 4a1x0
trafac 70 their preferred connecuonA To
court: Ssvs decided AZ. that me ro 800 ~.
the protest Of the shippsrs. ~ 49,
are moro than ninety routes ~ $500
freight may move between New xeGx
and New Orleans. It can be saen tbs
me soliciting agent has vast - -
The discontinuance Of exchange pasoeo
will require prssidents to buy s>gnteea
full fare tickets when they take private
Naturally. this will restrict the UoSe.
ment Of private cars, which will ~ .
relief TO the larger roads, and especially
to those which enter the great cities.
tinusd. the roads Will probsbly furnish
mileage books to each ether. keep Sn -
count OF che mileage used and settle b41-
ances In vash.s Travelling representatives
ingiy or at least for no personal trips. r.
has been estimated that the svefs9e So
liciting agent does not travel more thAa
5000 miles . wear. and that Se,oee youi4
pay for his transportatton- A company
with Afty outsits men would not havs
to use more than $4,000 worth OF mile
age for Its outside men In year. sna
that sum would not be felt by coua-
pany able to maintain - many outside
RAILWAY managers agree that tie great
est abuse Of the pass system y. - -
political department. Politicians must -
oeios e. 1:. ssa fuc ds ssg Sc
come ins1stent. and request passes me-
only for themselves and members Of their
eamiliee. but also for ccnstituenta. Nev
sissippi prohibit their officiais acceptipg
railway passes. The anti-pass hill - ~
miliar in many State Legslaturen- o.
casionslIy some one proposs thas e
public onicisis with passes. AffAr NsW
York forbade the roads to issue paseee
to public officials. the latter demanded
them for their friends. and this was .
maintain . political Department They
have found that they must have infiuen-
ttal friends to protect them from harsh
leEislation. The pass IL believed to have
give one may cause trouble. A. B. stick
ney. President OF q Western Railroad
testkytng before . commissioner, e4f4
that he had found 1t good policy to Be
a Sssa n s:ss az sS p ppss
ern Sheriff. who. upon being refused ~
annual by one road. summoned four o.
Its most important officials to serve on
q jury. and they were kept in the services
Of the court two weeks.
That the roads are imposed on In the
name Of charity Ii beyond dispute. Thoais-
ands Of passes are given to applicants
late a pathetic story and appeal to the
general passenger agents sympathy. ~
we'll dressed woman of excellent family
called one day on q general passenger
aren't and stated that she had bees g
distant city. 1.-The fare for the round
trip IL SIS" she said. 81 need q new hat
This one b really too shabby. you win
to buy ticket and new hat too. and
I want you to give me q pass"
Senator Chauncey Depew tells of .
former ciassmate, looking seedy and dis
q pass to Albany and return. Mr.. Depew
inquired upon what ground the request
was made. The anplicant replied that he
would explain after he. got the. pass.
he was going to Albany to deliver an
address before the Y. M. G. A. ON How
to Make Money"
Another applicant. writing to general
had the pleasure Of meeting you. but
my brother-in-law rents a house from
you on t. Street" Then followed .
request for transportation worth 16-
ago by q man who had been given . pass.
During his trip he contracted fever
from q family with which he stopped.
and he asked for damages from the COM
pany on the ground that II he had not
been given the pass he would not havs
taken the trip.
Shutting Off exchange passes win ada
something to the earnings OF the small
ones which heretofore have been getting
much more out of the pass system than
they have ever. given.
Public officials and politicians must
travel and they and their constituents
will constitute the bulk OF the new pay
passengers. These with shippers. and
the legion Of people who now obtain
passes on account Of charity, or on per-
sonai grounds, will not travel exceed
ing 400 1000. 900 miles. 1t Is calculated. This
at cents q mile, win yield 5000, 600.
Aside from this sum of money. the
managers consider thG their companies
will be benefited In that by reducing the
volume Of free travel, there will be more
room for the pay. passengers; the trafiio
departments will nave more control over
the freight business originating on their
lines, rates will be better maintained and
the roads will escape the criticism to
which they are now subjected for Civ
Ing passes.