The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-09-07

The hearing is for the purpose OF hear
Ing the protests OF the railroad com
panies against the proposed changes. or
az least against so sweeping a reduc-
tlOn In all commodities.
Valuation scheme.
In the morning Commissioner Prouty
listened to varied discussion as to the
merits and Inconvenience OF the valida-
ton scheme In vogue among the rail-
roads. In the case Of George w Ritter
against the oregon Short Line. South
ern Pacific and salt Lake route.
Ritter is a mining engineer OF salt
Lake living at the University club. and
filed the case against the railroads for
the purpose Of getting 60 before the
interstate commerce commission and
having a ruling in regard to the mat
ter. which has been troublesome TO a
good many who buy rOund-triD tickets.
Though Ritter has complained OF the
charge OF so cents for valuation Of
| his ticket. I'm addition 90 the $40 for the
rOund-trip ticket. he IS not suing the
railroad for this money. but seeks gen
eral relief on behalf of the public from
the system.
Commissioner Prouty took a keen in
terest I'm the valuation phase Of rail-
reading. The contention Of Ritter and
! his attorney. John A. Street. is that the
valuation Of tickets is necessary 20 es-
cape scalping. wherein the railroads are
heavy losers. and that something should
I be charged for this But they declare
/ tho 50 cents should be charged at the
l office where the purchase is made.
| thus doing away with the extra charge,
I and that the valuation should be done
] I'm the ticket office at the halfway
| station in the trip-not at special
/ validating agency separate and apart
| from the ticket offices. This. IL was
| claimed, caused many delays and in
| cOnvcniences 10 the travelling public. IN
] that 70 took time and trouble.
/ Cases Eere cited where travellers
missed trains from the fact that they
2 Tn ff~1rr
| validated before they could have their
/ baggage checked. that they were forced
20 go both 10 the validating office and
then TO the ticket office for Pullman
berths.
To Maintain Agencies.
James Horsburg. jr.. general paSsen-
ger agent OF the Southern Pacific with
headquarters at San Francisco. bore tht
| brunt or the attack against the valida
tiOn system. He said the extra charg,
was made fer the maintenance OF tn,
many agencies throughout the country
i OF which 20 are on the Pacific Goa Il
and that 81 would entail too much extrs
bookkeeping for the charge TO be mad,
at the purchasing office.
The validating offices are ma tainet
Through the TranscOntinentai Passenger
association. with headquarters at Chi
cago. and the 50 cents, he said, was fOl
| the purpose OF maintaining these Of
fees. He said that to have the validat
| ing agents In the ticket offices would
] mean lnat 100 many men WoulN nave II
be employed and that more delay
| would be the result.
g. =. Wilson. another mining en-
glneer. told Of the trouble he had eN
perienced at Los Angeles through thu
validating system and declared he ha'
l heard many protests from others in re
gard to the system.
ID. r. Buriey. general passenge
agent for the Short Line. and L. ]
keyes. city ticket agent In Salt Lake
testified for the railroads In regard q
the system. declaring that In addition
TO the contract printed on the round
trip tickets in regard TO the validating
fee. they had always intended that pur
chasers were told OF the extra charE
before the return trip could be made.
| Commissioner Prouty was to hav
heard evidence In regard to the sui
OF Hallin against the Southern Pacific
| in which Hallin had trouble getting
round-trip ticket from Elko to Sa
| Francisco. Facts In regard to the cas-
! will be mailed to the commission. a
! Mr.. Hallin was not present and rail
road officials were not posted in re
gard to the case.