The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-12-09
RELIEF IN SIGHT
FOR TRAVELLERS
iT is BELIEVED THAT THE TIME
is NOT FAR DISTANT WHEN
THE MILEAGE TICKET WILL BE
ACCEPTED WITHOUT A GREAT
AMOUNT or RED TAPE.

Commercial travellers can now ex-
pect that relief is in sight, for the
handicap now causing the loss of so
much valuable time lined up before the
ticket window waiting to exchange
mileage for a ticket in, order to check
baggage. The North Carolina supreme
cour-i decision favorable to the sales
men, The Atlanta Constitution and
other papers of that city and else
where have taken up the matter and
are dealing with it in leading editorials.
The Forums travellers department
several years ago began the campaign
and has since been keeping it up and
labored hard to bring about some form
of relief. With added influence in the
cause and the decision alluded to
above there are good grounds for the
belief that something is going to hap
pen. The North Dakota travellers will
doubtless take steps in that direction.
Now, If the statesmen everywhere win
raise their voices, and keep them rais-
ed, it is certain that by this time next
year the travelling men can do as they
used to ind stay with the trade until
the last minute, then run to the sta
ton, check their baggage and board
the train for another point.
The Atlanta Constitution in a recent
issue said:
1.-THE travelling public in Georgia is
donating an estimated average Of 100
hours daily of its time to the railroads
of this state.
1.-THE rule requiring holders OF mile
age books to exchange mileage for
tickets before boarding trains is the
explanation.
1.-The statistics are built on the esti-
mate that 5000 people in Georgia
habitually use railroad mileages, and
that the time they lose from their
private business daily in exchanging 1t
for tickets may be computed approx
mately at 100 hours per day. The esti-
mate is a conservative one, as develop
ed a full length in a recent issue of
The Constitution.
"Forbearance has ceased to be a vir-
tue, and the travelling men of Georgia
are preparing to bring the situation
emphatically to the attention of the
state railroad commission.
1.-The Travellers Protective associa-
ton of Georgia will hold its next an
nual meeting on Dec. 81.
'It is proposed then to take ZIP the
matter of the unjust and arbitrary re-
quirement imposed by the carriers n
lay plans for immediate representa-
tons to the commission. .
There ia no logical reason at pres
emit apparent why the commission
should not grant relief.
"If 1t sno1ld fall to do so legal re-
dress remains, with recent precedent
to inspire hope that lie courts will
decree readjustmen;. s.
'In this cay of intense competition
and lightning methods time is one Of
tile most Important factors.
ITO wipe 100 hours &. day from the
business equipment Of Georgia is a Sc
rious matter. The marvel is that the
commercial travellers have let the
practice go so long unchallenged.
THE carriers should be fertile
enough in expedients to find some
method for double checking conductors
and for systematically auditing trans
portation other than the tedious one
now prevailing.
~ GAS for the interstate phase of mile
age book regulations, there are equally
grave injustices demanding remedy.
Even here the travellers nave recourse
in their national organization n be-
fore the interstate commerce and
federal courts"