Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-06-20
Abuse of Courtesies Leads Rail
roads to Curteil Privileges
Accorded the Clergy
CHARGES NOT FIRST BELIEVED
But Investigation Has Revealed That a
Goodly Per Cent of the $1,000 Clergy
men Living West of Chicago, Have
Abused Permit Cards-Now Placed
On Special Permit System.

Sioux City June 20.-Owing to the
roads to $4,000 ministers west of Chi
cago the railroads have decided to cur
tail the privileges accorded the clergy.
While local ticket agents are loath to
bring home any of the charges of mis-
use of privileges, it has been stated
at Chicago that the practice was not
confined to only one section and 1T is
likely the ministers of northwestern
Iowa are blamed as much as those of
accordingly taken steps to keep the
divines from allowing indiscriminate
use Of their half fare cards and also
protect the. companies from sale of the
privileges to scalpers.
The railroads are Furnishing the
one of the principal railroads of Sioux
City, as man in broadcloth went out
of his office with u new book of coupon
permits. The ministers don't seem to
think that the little permits are given
them in place of the old card half-fare
permits, because many OF them have
abused the courtesy of the railroads.
but nevertheless, that is the reason that
the card used for many years is no
more"
The new books adopted by several of
the railroads for the clergy contain a
number of special permits which are
equal to one-half the regular rate on
any ticket purchased by the holder.
One must be used for each trip. The
minister must identify himself, ana
give receipt to the conductor
1t is said that a goodly per cent of
the $4,000 clergymen living in the west
have so abused the permit cards, good
for an unlimited number of rides that
they are now being placed entirely on
the special permit system. while fewer
ministers are allowed to ride for half
the regular rate than ever before.
Committees representing the South
ern, Transcontinental and Western,
held meeting In Chicago recently and
took this action. The railroad men
claimed that many clergymen hal
built up neat little traffic with tick
eft brokers by allowing them to mail
their credentials to parties coming
in. thus securing half rate for people
not wearing the cloth. When tn.
charge was first made that the
clergynen were beating the railroads
no one believed it, and the officials
turned 1t down with scorn, but a thor
ough investigation has led to the re-
striction of the privileges. The trans
gression of the pledge under which
the permits are given to the clericats
was so general that the passenger
association committee decided to take
drastic action and still further re-
strictions may follow.
In Sioux City the railroad men have
found no divine who has been dealing
with the brokers, but they have known
instances in which the students and
young clergymen, not engaged wholly
in ministerial work. We're allowed %
use the permits of ministers.
1T is nothing to have a half dozen
applications for the permits by stu
dents, volunteer workers. young min
listers and others, not entitled to the
courtesy" said a local agent. in speak
ing of the advantage sometime taken
of courtesies to clergymen. These peo-
pie secure some minister to endorse
thir application, then what can we do
but recommend that the permits be Is
sued or be denounced as not In SYM
pathy with church work ~
Local passenger agents say that the
move is probably justitiable. Conduct
ors declare that there are lot Of
unholy looking clergymen in Iowa ana
Nebraska or else the clergymen fire.
la,,I their rarlnitS