The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1912-04-24
THE MILEAGE B0OK GOES.

The MILEAGE SOCK GOES.
The recent orders Of the rail
roads to the agents to discon-
tinue the mileage books IS just
what we have been expecting the
railroads 10 DO since the lesjsia-
ture enacted the law requiring
the mileage to be pulled on the
trains. When the measure was
pending in the general assembly
the railroad officials pleaded with
the members not to impose this
upon them, claiming that 1t
would be impossible for them to
carry out the provisions OF the
Act, and give to their auditing
department. the proper attention,
that it will result in a loss to the
roads. cause them great delays
in making time, and giving them
annoyances in many ways. But
the legislature needed them not,
because, there was a clamor for
the change from a number OF the
travelling men, not ali by any
means. there were many drum
mers who were opposed to the
change, and sided with the posi-
ton Of the railroad officials. The
law was enacted to go into effect
May lst., out it is conceded that
the legislature has no power to
force the railroads to put on the
books, this being matter OF bus
mess for the managemen5,s con-
sideration altogether, then what
good has been accomplished by
the change? It has done harm,
in that, it deprives many who
were willing to accept the rall-
road regulation to exchange
mileage at the Office window for
a ticket IN order to save five dol
lars per thousand miles, from
getting the advantage of this
privilege they have enjoyed, not
by force of law, but by conces-
sion of the railroad management.
We see that Senator Carlisle
of Spartanburg, who was the
author of the bill tells one of the
Spsrtanburg newspapers the leg
islature should at It's next session
adopt a two cent rate. The Sen
ator, usually well informed, for
gets that North Carolina and
Virginia had to recede from the
two cent position as the courts
were against them, and decided
that in this section Of the cosn-
try a two cent rate is ''condsca-
tory" aud therefore unconsuitu-
tional.
The next move that will be
made, and it is threatened by
some of the Drummers, is to re-
fuse to buy tickets but to pay the
conductor on the trains, IN this,
they expect to bring the railroads
to terms, as paying on the
trains would greatly confuse, 10
convenience and hinder the con-
ductors ia proper dispatch Of
their business; if this game is re-
sorted to we look for an order to
refuse admittance on the trains
to persons without tickets, even
if the companies have to enclose
the stations with fences and have
gates for the entrance and exit
of passengers. In our Judgment
the Drummers have made a great
error II demanding the change,
it has done them no good, but it
has been quite costly to the gen
eral travelling public-a saving
of FIVE dollars out Of twenty. i've
means a whole lot Of money to
the ordinary traveller. and when
they have to go down into their
pockets for this extra five an
other song will be sung.
The drummers themselves can
not blame anybody but them
selves for this condition, they
were warned by the railroads
that if their demands We're
granted by the Legislature the
books would most assuredly be
taken off, but the drummers
would not believe it and said it
was bluff. Well, we guess they
have by now reached the con.
clusion that instead of its being
bluff it is the real thing and
they will have to grin and bear
it. We know of many travel
ling men who contended the de-
mands by their fellow travellers
was unreasonable, that if they
really wanted to do service they
should give their attention to
schedules, comfortable cars and
freight rates, and let the fnan-
cial management be where it be-
lorgs-with the railroads. as
with every other business, those
who invest Their money and en-
p;oy men to manage know their
business better than the man
who rides up and down the rail
roads as means Of livlihood.
The STATE CHAIRMAN.
4 State chairman for the