Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-09-06
Ticket Valuation Case Comes
Up Before Interstate Com
merce Commissioner.
RAILROADS OUT IN FORCE
Legal Talent and Ira fiiC Officials Gath.
or Here TO Listen to- Traffic
Bureau Case.

CITY, iu which rate determinations are
charged and which was TO have come
up before Commissioner Charles A.
Prouty OF Tho interstate commerce
commission In the federal court room In
this city this morning was sidetracked
until 2 o'clock this afternoon In order.
TO dispose Of one or two minor cases
now pending before the commission
in this territory
The status q the case against the
railroads now to be considered has
reference Co the order Of the commits
sion made at the time the decision or
dci1ng "a reduction on certain freight
ana passenger rates IN and out ot
Utah territory. rendered June % last.
10 the effect that the railroads should
keep record during the months OF
June, July and August. OF the rates
AZ already in effect and those proposcl
hy the commission for the purpose OF
comparison by the commission. from
which a determination might be ar
rived at whether or not the proposed
rates were just TO all concerned. Some
Few alterations and changes in the
rates already passed upon will perhnp s
be made, involving corrections OF Items
ulsftatcd in transcription.
The usual formidable array OF legal
talent and representation Of railway
ufiicaldOm was present. including
Judge r. G billiard. interstate com
mercc counsel of the Hartman lines,
\. II. loomis, general counsel Of the
Union Pacific w. e.. Cotton. general
counsel for the .. r. e. n, Il. l.. WI
Hams general counsel for the Oregon
short Line, Pennel Cherrington. coun-
sci for The salt Lake Route. and r. NJ
Allison, OF counsel for the Denver &
la ~ DO 81, -.
sistant traffic director of the Hartman
system; J. \. Munroe, traffic manager
OF the Union Pacific; G. q. Burnham,
Vice president IN charge Of traffic of
the Chicago. Rock Island & Pacific:
~. G. Bush, traffic manager OF the
Colorado Midland. II A. Johnson, gem
eral freight agent OF tine Colorado e.
Southern; q W Luce. general freight
agent of the Southern Pacific at san
Francisco: George Martin. general
agent OF the Rock Island at Denver; J.
Heron, traffic manager of thc Coll-
RADIO Fuel d icon company l.. ].
KVcs city ticket agent of the oregon
Short Line. J. H. Manderneld, assist
amt general freight and passenger
agent of the Salt Lake Route; $. V.
nerrah, assistant general freight agent
OF the Denver & Rio Grande.
For the Commercial club traffic
bureau. President Stephen II Love.
Traffic Commissioner :. n Babcock,
and Secretary W. s. McCarty were IN
attendance
When Commissioner Prouty an
nounced that the main cause would
rot be taken up until the afternoon
session, most of the railroad officials
ana attorneys retired, leaving only
those connected with the case of Ritter
against tho oregon Short Line, South
crn Pacific and salt Lake Route Judge
IRhn IA nnTarnI the
plalnant George W. Ritter. and Atty.
=. J.. Williams. genera couusel for the
oregon short Line. appeared for tie
railroad companies T.. G. Thompson.
OF the firm OF Longley d Co. of Los
Angeles acted os official stcnographcr
and the hearing OF the case began.
VALUATION NUISANCE.
The point involved in the ease l. as
to the necessity FOR and the justice
of tho charge made by the railroads
named In the complaint Of 80 cents IN
addition to the regular cost Of return
trip tickets from place to place. as a
fee for validating such tickets at the
point Of destination, before starting on
the return trip. While the plsadings
were waived by the commission. the
facts being already I'm its possession.
the case may be briefly stated thus:
Mr Ritter, the complainant purchased
a ticket ou a special rate from salt
Lake city To San Francisco. the ticket
providing for return trip. The COST -
the ticket. a. advertised In the public
press, and at the railroad offices. was
Si2 Upon arriving at san Ffancisoo,
ana before he could r5turn. Mr., Rt'r
was compelled 10 go u an on &c known
as the validating agency. separate ant
apart from the city Offices OF Che rAi-
road company, To have his ticket saii-
dated before he could return, or set
., 10 20 nlanlraH fnr
trip. lie claimed that he was compelled
to wait for an unreasonable length ~
time for such validating To be made.
and that through several delays. caused
by the process OF valuation. he missed
his train and was compelled TO wait
over until the next train. Complainsnt
set up the claim that the valuation o,
tickets was an unnecessary ana *
tremcly ANNOYING piere OF red tape on
the part OF the railroad company. ma
not for the purpose OF securing q re-
turn uf his so cents. but TO bring the
matter 10 the attention OF the commits
sion. ne flcd the action now at bar
WAS IN THE CONTRACT
For the railroad, d. e. Burley, general
passenger agent OF the oregon Short
Line, and James Horsburg, general pas
senger agent OF the Southern Pacific at
san Francisco, and l.. j. Kyes. city
ticket agent OF the oregon Short Line.
were called TO the witness stand From
the testimony OF these gentlemen IL
was shown that In the tariffs providinS
for reduced price tickets, and on most
of the tickets sold under such tariffs,
the explicit statement appears that the
tickets must be validated, giving the
place and time when valuation must
bc had. and Zoo some cases stating the
amount Of the Zee 60 be charged Tor
stich valuation II was shown that
the ticket purchased by Mir. Ritter con-
tanned the provision IN the contract
printed ON It's face
For tho complainant, George u, VIII
son. a mining engineer, corrOborateu
air Ritter. testimony in regard TO the
snnovanccs suffered by the public In
conscouence of the process OF valida
tton. and Nj. Ritter himself, who told OF
his cxperiencc with such ticket "a
the case In point
II was contsuded by counsel for IN
corpla inant that the vaiidation fee OF
50 cents was an addition 20 the charge
made for the ticket, which was adyer-