The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-10-23
RAILROAD NEWS.
Advocates a StriCter Anti Pass
Provision.
Present Law Still Enables Be
stOWaI of FavOrs.
RAILWAY AGE ARTICLE
Trade Journal Goes Into Dis
cussiOn of Question.
Gossip and Matters of Interest
in Railroad Circles.

In the summer of 1905 many of the
railways commenced a. renewed effort
to diminish the free pass evil. saws the
Railway Age. The lines composing the
Western Pass Agreement, at meeting
on August ,, confessed that matters
We're in a most undesirable condition"
pledged each other TO discontinue the
issuing of free or reduced transporta-
ton or refund of fares on account of
free traffic, at once and declared it
to be the understanding that the pas
senger officials Will as soon as possible,
withdraw any arrangements that are
in conflict with the pass agreement, the
intention of which is ito prohibit the
issuance of free Transportation. state or
interstate. for the purpose of infiuenc-
ing or securing freight or passenger
business"
Other associations and roads took
similar action. and it is safe to say that.
during the last year the long standing
abuse of giving transportation to in
f1uence business, involving violation OF
the laws against rate cutting and dis
elimination, practically ceased. But
pass giving for political, personal, phil
anthropic and advertising purposes stiA
continued in most parts of the country,
although popular sentiment, as well as
the consciences Of many railway men,
were moving in the direction of reform
Late in the year the Pennsylvania
railroad management announced that,
commencing with January l, 1906, the
issue of free passes. except to employees
of the road, would be discontinued; the
directors of the New York Central
little later. December /, passed an order
directing that no free passes should
thereafter be issued except to employees
actually engaged on the road, thus
abolishing a department of its service
which had become noted for hberalityln
connection with political affairs, par
ticularly in the state of New York.
and the Delaware, I4acka wanna & West
ern, Philadelphia & Reading, Central
of New Jersey and few other eastern
roads also shut their doors to pass
hunters.
Meantime congress was proceeding,
with evident reluctance, toward legls-
lation affecting pass perqulsltes, ana
the railways We're waiting for an en-
actnent which would make action on
the pass question uniform. The deli
cacy felt by congress in regard to d.
minishing the privileges of its members
and many of its constituents was ind1-
Gated by the variety of remedies pro-
posed for dealing with what was ad-
rnitted to Be an evil-When9 committed
by other people.
one measure undertook to prohibit
railways from issuing free tTansporta-
congress and certain officials, and to
compel the roads to carry these differ
entail citizens free. Another proposed
measure would let the railways carry
everybody free except congressman
Great excitement was caused through
the country by the actual passage IN
the senate of a section which. in enunl-
Grating the classes of employees who
might be carried free. specihed-"at tor-
news exclusively in the service of the
company issuing the transportation
The lawyers of the nation rose as one
man to protest against this limitation
and the bill was improved SO that as
passed it permitted every railway COM
pany to carry free its attorneys at
law and their families, unrestricted as
to number, location or frequency of en-
The law as it stands prohibits each
common carrier from giving ANY In
terstate free ticket, free pass or free
transportation for passengers, except
to its employees and their families. its
officers, agents, surgeons, physicians
and attorneys at law" and to a con-
siderable list of other immunes, in
GLIDING ministers of religion and per-
sons connected with philanthropic
and eleemosynary institutions. Since
it was enacted in June last, railway
managers and railway associations,
aided by federal authorities, have
been submitting the exempted classes
to investigation and elimination.
Among those whom the roads may
not lawfully carry free. it has been
concluded. are land and immigration
agents and persons who, while rem
dering occasional service, do not de-
vote the most of their time to railway
employment.
All together. therefore. a very con-
siderable advance has been made dur
ing the past year in the direction of
pass restriction. But this falls far
short of utter abolition OF free passes,
which is the only just and consistent
course The prohibitions in the fed
eraI law now are largely nullihed by
the exceptions. In the debate in con-
gress on the pending measure one
senator declared that the exceptions
would allow the railways to carry six
or eight million people free. This
means unjust discrimination and class
favoritism.
But absolute prohibition of free
travel interstate would only be
commencement of the needed reform.
Except in a few states in which pass
giving to public officials is prohibited,
the railways are still free to meet the
exactions of the hosts of legislators