Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1906-09-12
Railroad Tickets.

l
1t, but some elbows him away fror
the window and he hastens to tn
train, trusting to providence and tn
conductor Few persons know wha
long tickets will allow them to do |
they do read them, and fewer still
have any idea of the intricate an,
yet simple system controlling then
how the money Is divided, VIII,
and when. Few passengers fee
perfectly at ease until the conductor
has been around, scrutinized tn,
tickets and stuck red and yellow
slips in the holders hatbands.
A road that carries a passenger
only 40 miles sells him a tickets for
a 1000 mile trip. It's a matter o.
arithmetic and system, the ohiet
clerk In the ticket Office said. "Sup
pose we sell a ticket from Joplin to
Honolulu. The passenger travels
only a few miles over our line, but
W" ''' '"O "hoio tiChct' lne money
Is divided pro rata among the sew
eral lines over which the passenger
is taken. Each company gets a
share; depending on the length of its
haul and the rate 1t charges mile.
The other roads keep check on us
by coupons that are detached by the
conductors. A the end OF each
month the auditors of all railroads
report to a central passenger asso-
ciation. and later divide and remit
the money collected from Joint ticket
sales"
Tickets are not made long merely
to annoy passengers or to prevent
them having a clear idea OF what
they're all about. They couldn't
wen be any shorter, the railroad
officials say, Each road the ticket
goes over must have n coupon to be
detached; twelve railroads mean
twelve coupons. If side trips are
allowed, - coupon must be attached
for each, Also where railroad lines
do not enter the same depot. trans
FER coupons are appended.
There are In North America
eight passenger associations. These
associations have charge OF making
all rates In their territory. The
Western Passenger association has
charge OF rate-making In the terri
tory between Chicago and Denver:
the Central Passenger association.
between Chicago and Pittshurg; the
Trunk Line association, between
Pittsburg and New York; the New
England association. all line I'm the
North America states; the Trans
continental association. all lines
from Denver TO the Pacific coast.
BESIDES these there are the South.
eastern association. In the southern
section OF the United States: the
Canadian association. in Canada, and
the southwestern excursion bureau.
mat has charge OF the land exeur-
sions to Texas and Oklahoma
When an important meeting or
convention is TO take place In some
'ity the passenger association IN that
district has meeting and deter.
mines the rates that are to apply.
a roads officers think the
passenger association did not 60 low
Enough TO attract the public and
hey make a rate OF their own Then
rate war Is on. and people who
iever throNght of taking summer
rip pack up their thiags and travel |
ana they put In three-fourths OF
heir time worrying about long
'reen or yellow ticket with many
coupons aud references 10 THAR /
lelsht, weight, age. complexion and
'eneral appearance. often women
re surprise TO learn for the nrst
ime. perhaps. upon consulting their
leket. that they are stout ana have
"a hair. when any one exeept a
icket agent would know Il was AN. ll
urn. These are called photogranh
Iekess. and are intended 20 AIS.
oarags ''scalping." or the selling \,
he return part.--KAhsas City Star |