Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1914-08-04
BOOKS
TO Be ACCEPTED
BY SHORT LINE
The Announcement Is Made
to President Blomquist of
the State Public Utilities
Commission.

Commercial travellers in and out Of
Boise won somewhat of a victory
through the public utilities commission
and will be greatly benefited thereby.
for D. E. Burley, general passenger
agent of the Oregon Short Line, has
written President John A. Blomquist
that on and litter Sept / the 1000 scrip
or inter-exchangeable mileage books
issued by the Chicago, Milwaukee &
st. Paul, the Great Northern, the Ore
gon- Washington Railway & Naviga-
ton, the Southern Pacific and Spokane
Portland e. Seattle, will be accepted
by the Oregon Short Line between
Huntington. Ore, and Boise, Idaho, and
intermediate stations, including di-
verging branch lines" Heretofore
while these books have been good on
practically all northwestern railway
and electric lines. they have not been
accepted by the Short Line.
Travelling Men Act.
Holders of the interchangeable mile
age books, especially travelling men,
have been forced when they reached
Huntington on the Oregon Washington
Railway & Navigation company to pay
full fares into Boise or to intermediate
points as the Short Line refused to
accept their mileage. The commercial
travellers claimed that the Short Line
should honor the mileage as all other
northwestern roads had done. The
matter was finally presented to the
public utilities commission by the Uni
ted Commercial Travellers as an organ
ization. President Blomquist there
after opened correspondence with GEN
eral Passenger Agent Bur. " of the
Short Line urging that road to accept
the 1000 mile books issued by and
good on other roads.
The correspondence developed the
fact that the Oregon Short Line con-
sidered the 5000 mile transcontinental
mileage books good west of a line
drawn south from Cheyenne better
than the 1000 milo books. The 5000
mile books sell for $50 and the 1000
mile books for $50. The transconti-
nentals, however, are not honored by
all roads and where baggage is
checked the holder is required to ex-
change his coupon mileage for tickets
at the ticket office before checking
1t was als) claimed that road would
not accept the coupons unless there
had been an exchange first for tickets,
but this is denied by the Short Line
officials.
Commission Urges Acceptance.
Travelling men favored the 1000 mile
interchangeable books because of the
fact they are good on practically all
roads and there is no Inconvenience
in checking baggage, etc. President
Blomquist urged the Short Line to ac-
cept this mileage all over its system.
Both style of mileage figure out at ap
proximately 2h cents per mile. on the
5000 mile books the purchaser is given
a refund when the book is used up.
Travelling men also object to the in
vestment of $50 in one book.
While not successful in securing
adoption Of the 1000 interchangeab
mileage over the entire system of the
Oregon Short Line, President Blom
quist by negotiating with General
Passenger Agent Burley has been able
to secure adoption of the mileage into
Boise from western points, which will
be found of great benefit to holders of
the mileage coming into Boise from
the west or to intermediate points on
the Short Line system between this
city and Huntington, and going west
out of Boise.
The 1000 mile books viii therefore
be good on the Idaho Northern, Muir
ply to Lakeport, Caldwell to Wilder,
Nyssa to Homedale. Ontario to Brogan
and Juntura, Huntington to Home
stead, Payette to Emmett and Hunt
ington to Boise and intermediate
points on the main line of the Oregon
Short Line.