Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-12
LIKELY TO GET PASS
Appeal in Behalf of a Money!
less Consumptive.
INVOKING HEPBURN ACT
Free Transportation Allowed to In.
digent and Homeless. &.
SAD CASE OF HARRY F. POST
First Time That Application Has
Been Made Under Section l of
the Law in Question.

Through the efforts of philanthrop:c
woman. who keeps posted on the legisla-
ton OF Congress. and personal opinion
by one of the interstate commerce COM
missioners, whose sympathy was aroused
Harry F. Post of haywood. ILL.,. con-
sumptive whose hope of life depends on
his getting to New Mexico and that very
quickly. may secure a free pass over the
Santa Fe system to his destination. 1t is
said to be the first time in the history of
the interstate commerce commission that
the provisions of section 1 of the Hepburn
voked by an individual in the effort to OBJ
tain free transportation.
Until he was stricken with tuberculosis
Harry r. Post was a florist in haywood
III. Driven to California in his fight for
life. he sought TO sell his greenhouses. and
was lured back east by a Kansas City
man. who was found to have nothing 10
oner In payment for them but $500 in
notes payable in his home town. Post
was without money to get back to Cali
fornia and with no means to support his
wife and six children. At this time the
sympathies of Mrs. Estelle Ryan Snyder
of 1904 Ashland block. Chicago. were
aroused in his behalf and she wrote to
one of the interstate commerce commits
sioners. stating Posts condition, and that
an off1cfal Of the Santa Fe system had
promised to use his influence to get Post
free pass If the interstate commerce
commission thought II would be lawful.
transportation for Indigents.
Section 1 of the Hepburn act. which no
one apparently has ever thought worth
while quoting heretofore, provides that
free transportation may lawfully be CIV
en- by railroads and other common car
riers to INDECENT. destitute and homeless
persons. and to such persons when trans.
ported by charitable societies or hospi-
tails"
Ruling No. 96, Of the conference rulings
of the interstate commerce commission,
issued July 8 last, says: 1.-The commits
sion at this time makes announcement
that 1t will recommend the indictment
and prosecution of all carriers and per-
sons issuing passes to. or allowing the
use Of passes by. any persons not included
within the designated classes to whom
free transportation may be given by the
act to regulate commerce
Commissioner James 8. Harlan, who
is said to be the commissioner who was
appealed to in this case. il reported to
have said that in his personal opinion,
based upon the facts as reported to him,
IT would be lawful for the Santa Fe sys-
tenn to issue the free pass provided Post
is destitute, or INDECENT, in the sense that
he is i'll and unable to work, and has no
means and no relatives to support or sup
ply him with the necessaries of life but
the railroad company would have to in
vestigate and ascertain the facts for itself
and assume responsibility in the case.
1t was said at the commission today
that If Post owns q house and has any
property on which money can be raised.
1t would not be such a case Of restitution
as the act provides for. and Commissioner
Harlan had undoubtedly made this fact
clear TO Mrs Snyder.
At any rate, SO the story goes, the rail-
road company is not unlikely to take a
chance, and Post will probably get to New
Mexico on a free pass, because of his
deplorable condition.