The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-08-17
RAILROADS NOW PROTEST Bill in the House Would
 Do Much Harm. REGULATES TICKET SALE Would Make Conductors Handle
 the mileage Tickets. A Pamphlet Is Laid on the Desks of All the Members of the House of
 Representatives, Protesting /
 Against The BIn.

Few members of the House of Repre- sentatives up to yesterday appreciated the contents of the bill of Mir. Long of Butler. to remove time limitations from railroad passenger tickets and to abol- ish the rule of the railroads which makes the holders of interchangeaDi ole mileage tickets. excnange coupons for regular tickets at stations. X pamphlet prepared by the Division Counsel of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad was placed on the desks of the mem bers yesterday, setting forth what they claim are serious objections to the measure.
 It Is said that the protest of the Louisville and Nashville Is looked upon as well founded by many of the Rep resentatives. and notwithstanding the bill has been favorably reported by the Committee on Commerce and Common Carriers. it will run into a fight on the floor. It Is charged by the carriers af. fected that the statutory interference with the railroads in this manner will take away a valuable protection which they have of their passenger revenue and such means of protection arc not denied to any othor class of business by the laws of Alabama.
 Moreover. 1t is the claim of the rail-  fraud and discrimination against the honest passengers in the case of al lowing all tickets to remain good after the date of safe. It Is pointed out. thar by colluston between dishonest pas sengers and dishonest employees. the company could be cheated out of con- siderable revenue and 1t would comrii- cate and retard the roads system of accounting, with outstanding tickets which could be used at any time.
 As to compelling the roads to accept the mileage tickets on trains. 1t is insisted that such would cumber the alreadu hard worked conductors on trains in the State. and the line of rail- way over which the passenger travels might be cheated out of its share of the tickets revenue bS collision or negligence or mistake in calculation by the conductor. The conductors under the existing rules, are relieved of the tedious duty of figuring out the mile- age cverytimc coupons might he taken up and are saved the trouble and care of preserving such coupons for later auditing.
 equipped to take in the coupons for tu. ture checking than are conductors and can with more ease compute the inils- age. It is urged that under the pres ent system the purchaser or holder of the mileage does not expend one cent more than he would spend under the proposed change. All he is asked to do is to exchange his coupons. before boarding the train. for regular tieIets which ho has thereby bought cheaper than the passenger paying cash. Il puts but little trouble upon the pur- chaser. while the carriers are saved much revenue that would otherwise escape. Tn this connection it is also explained that interruptions persons might--as experience has shown--use the mileage books for checking bag gage of people who could not legiti- mately get 1t checked. and even to the extent of virtually shipping goods in the Ruise of baggage.
 From all this trouble and loss the roads are making a hard fight to save themselves. The bill will probably come up for passage this week in the House.