The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1905-06-23
ALL RAILROAD TICKET AcENra
COMPELLED TO DISPLAY THE
WRITTEN CERTIFICATES
Provision in Bill PROVIDING for q Rail-
way Commission Passed by the
Last Legislature.

Each railroad passenger official au-.
thorized by his road to handle passen-
ger tickets must now display written
authority from his railroad. In the
ticket offices of initial lines these
placards are now on exhibition.
Under state law that went into ef-
feet nearly two weeks ago, passenger
officials Of the railroads doing BUSH
ness in this state are prohibited from
doing business unless they possess the
written authority of the secretary of
the receiver Of the line. No matter
how well known a passenger represent
tative may be. without the certificate
of his road he has no more standing
before the law than a scalper against
whom the law is directed.
Certificates were issued last month
by all the lines, but some have not
been on exhibition before. Some Of
the passenger officials hold that 1t Is
not necessary to post up the certifl-
Gates, while other roads have made
the ruling that each certificate shall
be posted conspicuously.
Travelling Agents Are Protected
All the initial lines have posted au-
thority for the depot agents to sell
f1oir nfc nd r1fIrS
against any technical objection the
validating agency of the Transcontf-
mental association, where Lewis and
Clark excursion tickets are validated.
for the return trip, is given similar
authority The validating agent col
lects a fee of so cents for his work.
and some railroad men hold that this
is collecting money for ticket Others
insist the validating agent is exempt
ed by the law, but have given him
their authority as precautionary
measure.
Only one of the lines has issued q
permit to it's travelling passenger
agents. The travelling passenger
agents sell orders for tickets and may
be called upon to deliver tickets, but
they cannot carry about a rack full OF
tickets such as each Office owns, and
are not properly selling ticket agents
of the roads. Moreover, the construc-
ton ON the law placed by some Of the
lines is that tine authority issued to
city ticket agents is sufficient to cover
all employees in the office.
ScaIpers Have No PIaeards
The question has been raised as 70
whether the steamship agents who sell
European tickets and incidentally
handle railroad tickets, are required
to have such authority. There Is al
ways a quarrel on between railroad
men regarding the steamship agents
standing. Outside lines claim the
steamship agents actually sell rail-
road tickets; the roads favored by the
patronage claim that they merely e1-
ecute a passengers order. Between
these two definitions of the steamship
agents standing is the room Tor
difference of opinion over his author-
itv to handle railroad tickets.
1t was because he had no autnorieS
to sell railroad tickets that Hugh
O'Neill of Ottinger's brokerage once
in Seattle was arrested for scalping.
The scalpers cannot secure the requir-
al authority. and in that provision OK
the law is the protective feature the
roads wanted.
The state law provides that eacn
railroad agent selling tickets must pos
sess written authority from the secre-
tary of his corporation or the receiver
if the road happens to be in the nands
If receiver. Incidentally, the gener-
., Messenger agents all sign the COM
missions. and the seal Of the company
is placed on them.