The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-01-02
RAILROADS AND PASSES.

A Western court has recently render ed decision which will be of interest to railroad patrons, if it is followed by the courts generally. The meaning of 1t is that if Jones buys mileage tick et by the terms of which he is reouir- ed to sign his name every time he rides on it, smith can use the ticket and sign Jones's name and will not be gull ty Of forgery. nor can the railroad of ficials object. In other words. when a ticket Is bought and paid for anyone may ride on 1t.
 The rule that a mileage ticket cannot be transferred is in the opinion of The Hartford Times, "the fool part of the railroad rule. There Is no reason un- der the sun why Smith should not ride on Jones's ticket. It Is assumed that either one can sit in an ordinary sized seat, and, 1t that is so. then il makes no difference to the company which of the two 1t is carrying. A railroad may properly stfpuiate that special rate ticket shall be used within the time limited. It could be said that trains were more or less made up to conform to tickets sold. But whether that per- son is he or she, and whether that per- son is the same for all the route, is absolutely immateriai. When the New York, New Haven & Hartford road began issuing the 1000, miles books, it limited them first to the individual, later to members of the family. and pretty soon in the light of growing in teIligence took of all personal restric- tions and made them good for whoever held them"
 The court holds that Smith had Jonass permission to sign the ticket and that the permission went with the. sale of tho same. This is rather a new construction of law, 1t may be, but the New york, New Haven and Hartford road evidently saw the inconsistency of their position and abandontd it. When we think of it, if tho ticket is paid for why may the purchaser not lend it. as he would anything else he owns? The railroads may lose the sale of an occasional ticket. but it would save lit igation at times.
 And while on the subject of rail- roads and passes we are reminded of the Pennsyivania muddle. as told by The New York Times. which says.
 The Pennsylvania Railroad having ordered that all advertising be paid for in cash and cut off all transporta- tion to newspapers. the Pittsburg Newspaper Publishers Association took action today. A resolution was passed to bar from the newspapers all com plimentary norices relating to the Pennsylvania Railroad or it's officers. All railroad wrecks are to be reported in detail. taking care that the rail- roads are not favored.
 The natural impression on reading that will be that heretofore the news papers. having free passes have failed to report accidents and wrecks fully and fairly, but that they have written their reports so as to avoid anything unfavorable to the roads and not to give offence to the powers favoring them. That impression is not fattering to the newspapers and their managers, but how else can we explain their pe- sition? The railroad in question had for years followed the business habit If exchanging a certain amount of mile age for a certain amount of advertis- ing space. but it seems that the arr rangement became unsatisfactory and the road determined to adopt the strict ly dash system each way. This is strfctly business, and will doubtless prove more satisfactory in the long run. but we think the newspapers have placed themselves in an unpleasant position.