The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1913-04-14
EQUALITY and SIMPLICITY
Is What il Needed in Railroad Rates,
and the Present system of Mileage
is Far From Either


The present system Of issuing and
using mileage books is not satisfac-
tory 10 the patrons Of the railroads,
and. as many travellers viii be surpris-
ed to learn, il is great tax on the
time and patience of conductors and
ticket agents. The following letter
from veteran railroad man contains
Information that will be useful to all
and new to many:
II understand that the various or
ganizations of commercial travellers
are bringing influence TO bear on the
legislature TO have the railroads
change the present method Of handling
mileage book transfers
AT present the railroads offer mile
age books at a lower rate than regular
tariff fares for trip tickets and pre-
scribe the manner in which these
books shall be used, and it would seem
unfair to compel the railroads by law
TO use a system of ticketing not desir-
able to them. especially so since the
use of mileage books is not a compul-
sorry proposition.
The mileage book is not now, never
has been and never will be satisfactory,
when used as a ticket upon trains. It
I is most convenient for passengers, but
the following features render it objec-
tionable to the railroads:
First. as ticket it has baggage
checking value and as the book is in
Interchangeable can be presented and
baggage checked over one railroad
while passenger can ride over some
other line. Next, conductors on trains
do not have the time to pull mileage
and properly work their trains. neither
| is it feasible for the conductor to ex-
press or register his mileage for each
] train to the railroad association, hence
whatever mileage of foreign issue he
collects and is lost in open mails in
transit to the auditor is that much rev.
lenue lost to collecting line.
"As mileage is being handled now
each collection can be checked by
means of the agents ticket issued in
exchange for mileage and at stated
Iperiods or for each month the agent
can express mileage detached and re-
| port of tickets issued therefor to the
railroads accountant, where a syste-
matte check could be made and with
practically no chance for loss of mile
age. Again an agent can detach mile
age and issue a ticket covering an in
! iterstate journey while a conductor can
only pull to destination of his run and
las best to destination of his line only
From the ticket agents standpoint
the present mode of handling mileage
lis the worst that the mind of man
could contrive. No such proposition
has ever been thrust on any army OF
working men, and the patience and
Iloyalty with which these servants have
lborne this iniquitous burden, if proper
ily conceived by public opinion" would
add one more to the list of the wonders
lof the world
i There is cause for dissatisfaction
about this mileage, tho the average
commercial traveller misses the idea
The day is past when huge corpora
tions can crush the weaker vessel by
lsheer might. The day is also near al
hand when a common carrier cannot
furnish big business better rates thar
individuals, and the concensus o1
iopinion today is that the man behind
1.-THE scene who labors to keep the trav-
eler upon his journey and the railroads
isupplied with tonnage should have the
same rate as the largest of them all
Let US have equality of rates and &
simplicity Of methods that will har-
monize the interests of all concerned