El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-03-13

EROM the east and the west, from
the north and the south, includ-
= ing Canada and Mexico members
Of the International Association Of
Railroad Ticket Agents will gather in
Norfolk, Va, tomorrow for their an
nua1 convention. AS a practical dem
onstration of the pleasures of travel
ing and in recognition of the faithful
services of their employees. the rail
roads of the country have cooperated
in arranging an educational trip for
the ticket agents at the close Of the
convention. They will visit the i'm
portant resort points in the Carolinas
and in Florida, receiving all the at
tentions that fall to first class passen-
gers. From Port Tampa, Fla, d spe-
cial steamboat will take them to Ha-
vana, Cuba. They will return by way Of
knights Key. Fla. thence by rail up
the east coast Of Florida through
Jacksonville to Chattanooga. Tenn,
and from there to Cincinnati, where
the party will disband and the mem
bers will return to their respective
homes.
Helps Pleasure Travel.
The railroads reap their reward for
this in the fact that through it the
agents are better able to give intelli-
gent information about the resorts Of
the country. Each year trips for
ticket agents are planned for different
sections of the country, since the rail-
road companies are ever active in pro-
noting interest in pleasure travelling
which is largely on the increase every
year.
These railroad ticket agents repre-
sent no less than 1715 different rail-
roads in the United Statse, besides
those Of Canada and Mexico. The CO.
operation and unity with which these
separate corporations work in promo
ton OF the comfort and convenience
of the traveller is a strong support of
the claim frequently made that Ameri-
can railroads have the most perfect
system of organization now existing
In the world. While the passenger
traffic is less profitable than that Of
freight transportation, it requires
more attention, because the needs Of
individuals to make connections or to
arrive at an exact time are always
more pressing than those Of ordinary
freight shipment
Must Know Geography
The distribution of tickets to pas
sengers is not the simple matter Il
appears upon the surface Ticket
agents must have a thorough geo
graphical knowledge and a full under
standing Of connections to different
points Often a ticket is sold crossing
10 or 20 roads. The difficulties in
crease when it is made out in another
language. A traveller coming from
Mexico to Washington by rail last
last month had several of the coupons
from his yard-long ticket printed in
Spanish. On at least one Of the Can
adian railroads, tickets are issued
printed IN both English and French.
and the International Ticket Agents
association includes members selling
both of these
Ticket agents receive their tickets
from the central offices OF their own
particular road. Each of these offices
handles a very large number of ticket
forms. Every one of these NAV be ar
ranged for number of different
points. These railroad tickets are as
carefully accounted for as though they
were money. When an agent orders a.
certain number they are sent to him
in carefully sealed packages handled
by the express companies under the
same valuation as money The agent
is charged with their value and a
note Of them is sent to the railroad
auditor. The stubs from the tickets
sold are turned into the general office,
as are also the tickets after the con-
ductors have collected them. All are
carefully audited and outstanding
tickets are credited
Reason for Tine Limits.
1t retards the settling of accounts
to have the tickets unsolicited after
a certain, time. This is the reason
for the time limit which appears upon
most tickets. The central offices Of
large railroad companies keep thou
sands of ticket forms on file, arranged
after an elaborate card index system
From these forms it is possible for an
agent to make up a through ticket
across the continent, giving almost
any desired route A few hours time
will enable the ticket agent in any
important city to sell through trans
portation to any place IN the world
desired, for there is always coopera-
ton between the railroads and steam
ship companies.
The printing of railroad tickets is
in itself an important Industry To
prevent coanterfeits requires almost
as much scare as is taken by the