The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-09-29
New Passenger Ticket.

President Charles A. Wickersham of the
Atlanta and West Point railroad has sub
mitted to the railroad commission a new
form of of passenger ticket, in which an
apparently complete and effective cbeck-
ing system is embodied, with the inquiry
as to whether its use will involve fair
and reasonable regulation.
1t Is known as the Travis safety ticket
and was devised and patented by o. S.
Travis. Georgia railroad man who has
had long experience in the matter of
handing tickets.
The new feature of this ticket is a pas
senger's stub or receipt, accompanying
each ticket, which the passenger Is re-
quired to hold and to be able to produce
upon the request of an authorized audi
tor at any time during the trip.
The question involved is whether it
would be a reasonable regulation to re-
quire the passenger to hold this stub AMI
produce it on demand, or upon failure to
do 50 be required to pay his fare or get
off the train.
1t is this question upon which the rail-
road commission Is asked to pass, aud
the commission has referred it to a COM
mittee consisting of Commissioners c.
M. Gambler and Joseph +. Gray for in
yestigation and report.
The Travis ticket is printed in the form
now largely used on railroads in ths
south and east for local travel. Upon
1t appears the names of all the stations
on the line which it is sold, and it Is
torn from the stub by means of a pointed
steel strip which leaves an indentation
exactly opposite the station of destina-
ton.
Attached to this ticket is the passen-
gers stub, dated and torn in Identical
manner with the ticket. The conductor
takes up the ticket and the passenger re-
tains the stub. subject to the call of an
auditor who may appear upon the train at
any point until he reaches his destina-
ton
1t is urged that the Travis ticket con-
stitutes absolute checking system. by
which sthe auditor may check the train
at any time and at any point, and one
auditor may check half dozen trains or
more in single day.
The system, of course, contemplates tho
retention by the passenger of a cash
fare stub where the fare is paid on the
train, and the exhibition to the auditor
of coupon ticket or q pass wherever
these are used
Each passenger on the train would thus
have in his possession absolute evidence
of the fact that in one shape or an
other, he had paid his full fare, which
would enable the auditor to check the
train within few minutes after having
boarded it,
If the passenger retained his stub or
ticket receipt in a slit made In the con-
ductor's hat check, and in plain view, the
process would be made comparatively
easy
1t is also urged in favor of the pro-
posed system that with it in operation it
would be impossible for an employee OF
the railroad company to defraud It, should
he be SO inclined, except by collision
between four persons, the ticket agent, the
conductor. the auditor and the passenger.
The one question involved seems to be
whether 1t will be a reasonable regulation
to permit the railroad company to res
quire the passenger to retain the stub.
or upon failure to produce it on demand
of the auditor, to be put off the train.
OF course. no railroad company is go
ing to introduce system even for its own
absolute protection, If its enforcement IS
likely In any way to involve a multiplicity
of damage suits for putting passengers
off train when they had already sur
rendered their tickets.
But unless this requirement can be made
and the passenger forced to keep the
stub for exhibition to the auditor when
1t Is called for, the system would scarce<
ly work with satisfaction.
1t is this question upon which the rails
road commission is asked to pass, and ita
der. son Will be awaited with no small in-
terest.
If it should be generally held by rail.
road commissions that the regulation d
reasonable, 1t Is not unlikely that the pros
posed new ticket may be generally
adopted.
Some passengers might object, 1t ID
said 10 line requirement that they shall
retain these checks, In answer to which
it is pointed out that the same require
ment is now made in the case Of baggaxo
to redeem which the proper check must