The semi-weekly messenger., 1908-04-07
THE NEW MILEAGE BOOK RULE

The railroads of the state have
caused a great deal OF adverse criu-
cism by their recent order that az
ter today the holders of mileage
tickets must go to local station
1 agents and have their mileage pull
| ed" by the latter and be given tick
| cts to the points Of destination K
place of the mileage taken out, in
stead of, as heretofore, having the
| conductors take out the mileage af-
| ter the train had stated. We under
stand that this order has caused
much dissatisfaction on the part OF the
men who generally purchase this
| class of transportation. especially the
travelling representatives Of business
| houses These claim that the new
rule causes them great delay and an
noyance, which they heretofore
avoided by purchasing these tickets.
The new order has been denounced
as an outrage and a great imposition
on the men VINO use mileage tickets.
AS the reaners Of The Messenger Of
last Saturday learned, Governor
Glenn was SO incensed at the issu-
ing of the rule that he wrote let
ter to President. Finley, of the South
ern railroad, excoriating him, IS tho
power through whom he personally
negotiated the passenger rate COM
promise, because of the action the
railroads had taken in this matter
and declaring that If he had known
that such a rule was to be adopted
by the railroads he never would have
submitted the proposition he did to
the legislature in extra session and
the latter would not have passed the
compromise bill.
By way of parenthesis we will say
governor knows the legislature
would not have passed that bill If he
had refrained from recommending 1t.
In fact his experience with the two
sessions of the legislature during his
term OF office indicates that that
body does not pay much attention to
his recommendations, for the two
most important recommendations he
has made to that body were ignored
by it. The legislature of 1897 re-
fused to be governed by his recon-
mendation that a two and a half
cent passenger rate be established
and the one of 1908 turned down his
urgent recommendation that it pass
a state prohibition bill over the
heads of the people. What reason
then has he for thinking that body
would have needed his advice in this
ease? 1t strikes us the governor was
doing some tall guessing when he :
made that statement.
But to get back to the matter in
question. Is this new rule such a |
great hardship on the users of mileage !
books? Were not the railroads fore
ed to it for their own protection? ,
what we do Of the abuse Of .
The mileage book system under the !
Did rule, we are surprised that the .
railroads have not resorted to the
new rule long ago. Travelling men |
know, as we'll as do the railroads,
who had many instances reported to .
hem, that many-not all-owners of |
mileage books greatly abused their
privileges. There were many ways of i
loine Shis, such as getting on a train
md having mileage pulled" to a
nearby station and riding far beyond
t; having baggage checked to far
distant points on exhibiting their
BOOKS to the baggage agent and then
boarding a train for a short dis
mt direction. Numerous instances Of
hese and other tricks were con-
'tantly being reported to the railroad
Under the old system they
:ould not be prevented. The new
ule blocks these schemes of de-
rauding the railroads.
Again there is not SO much time
# the conductors taken up in collect
ng or punching a straight ticket as
here is in making out the mileage,
caring it off and securing the sigma
ure of the holder of the mileage
lOok Thus giving the conductor more
ime to attend to his other duties
While his train is in transit
Still again this rule, while some
hing new in this state, is by no
means so in other sections of the
ountry 1t has for some time been
he rule to the north and west Of
his state, and when the proposition
vas made that these mileage tickets