The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-06-24
TIE mileage nook. AGAIN.

THE MILEAGE BOOK, AGAIN.
! we made a mistake last week in one
I of the things we said about the Coast
/ Line mileage book, and we hasten to
I make the correction. In punching the
/ ticket. the selling agent did not punch
/ the slim" place in the size section;
but the medium" place. With this
correction the rest OF the description
of the holder of the book stands. He
is still feet IL inches in height and
he was punched as short; his eyes
are beautiful steel grey. but they
were punched as dark" and there ap
pears to have been some doubt in the
mind OF the seller as to whether he
was man or a woman (this was not
| remarkable, probably, as he has very
lady-Nke ways) and SO the puncher
punched him as being white female"
These several points are trifling If 1t
We're not made the bounden duty of
any conductor or agent of the railroad
TO identity the holder of this book by
the description punched in the mar
gin, and we submit that nearly a six
footer could not be identified by any
! body as short" and that no conduc-
tor with fair eyesight would call grey
lamps dark" 1t seems SO utterly
like the Atlantic Coast Line. one Of
the greatest railroad systems in the
South, to place any unnecessary con-
ditions on it's business. To ''penalize
its traffic and commerce" in this way.
as the Atlanta Constitution would
doubtless express it. we submit is a
very unbusinesslike thing for a great
business enterprise TO do
We have received letter from a
very fine man in this town asking that
we talk about the mileage book at
least once week until the railroads
issuing this book either withdraw it
altogether, or remove the foolish and
absurd restrictions which they have
placed around 1t, to the annoyance of
the passengers. with the result that,
instead OF making friends. it makes
enemies for the railroads" Surely,
they have enough enemies now not to
invite others.
Our correspondent is not damage
suit lawyer, or an ambulance chaser,
or cheap politician trying to "whoop
up the boys; but an officer In one OF
the largest manufacturing concerns in
the South, which pays more than S2,-
100000 year to the railroads for
hauling its freights, and for this rea-
son, if for no other. it would seem that
his protest should not be pigeon holed
or referred to the Waste Basket Com.
mittee. In his opinion, "the railroads
are managed with less sense and judg-
ment for such tremendous enterprise
than any other business I know Of"
That is rather sweeping statement,
and we do not think that IL can be
sustained in fair argument; but ii is
the expression of a feeling that many
good and law-abiding citizens hold,
| and 1t ought to be considered by the
railroads on its merits. lest 1t be con-
sidered by other unfriendly interests
off its merits. There is no reason,
says our correspondent, why the
mileage book should not be sold and
the coupons for the mileage pass at
par with the various railroads, Just
the same as any portion of a coupon
ticket Issued by one road and good
over another. 1t does not make any
difference, anyhow, whether Bill Smith
or Tom Jones rides on the ticket, and
why there should be such foolish re-
strictions about IL, no one knows"
Ihat appears 10 be wholly reasona-
bic View of q question that presents
itself to thousands of travellers every
day, and every time one Of these is
annoyed he sweareth In his heart, and
doubtless to his hurt. that he will do
! something to EN-. IL ever get a
! chance That is not healthy sentl-
| ment for any undertaking dependent
! upon public favor 10 cultivate. Our
correspondent then gets down to some
of the practical objections to the pres
ent mileage book system. as follows
Why The railroads cannot sell a
mileage book ticket like the Pennsyl-
panla Railroad is doing. no one UNDER
stands, and J am sure tho railroads
could not give reasonable explana-
! tlon' Dlo you ever try one OF the in-
\ tefohangeable mileage books in New
YORK city, 70 be gaed between Wash
ington ana Richmond? Try 1t once
and you viii md how much trouble
the railroads put you To, The Penn
Eylyunia Railroad utiI NOT rec0pn{ys