Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-01-20
ASK FOR FREE PASSES
FOR R. R. employees
[Continued from First PageJ

not to families of railroad employees
Taking up the objection to Issuance
or passes by a man who said employ
ers of merchants and others did not
enjoy privileges like railroad men the
speaker said that it would be redicul-
GUS to require that grocer's clerk
who secured flour at a discount should
keep that flour for his exclusive use
and not allow his wife to eat of the
bread baked thereof.
1t would be unfair also to assume
that the law ever contemplated pre-
vented a railroad from transporting q
fire company from city to burn.
ing village. Issuance of passes to fami-
lies of employees was a matter of policy
of companies who desired to enable
employees to be saved expense ir
travelling over the lines on which they
work.
Part of Compensation
In closing, the speaker pointed out
how the restriction of passes to inter
State travel could be evaded by a trir
few miles over a State line and
argued that the issuance of passes had
been long considered as a part of COM
pensation.
Replying to a question by Chairman
Ewing the speaker said it was assum-
ed that the commission had jurisdic-
ton In the case. ~
John r. Geyer Harrisburg taking
up the testimony of Samuel H. Smith
of this city, chairman of the general
board of adjustment of the Order OF
Railway Conductors and a Pennsyl-
vania freight conductor, said 1t was
apparent that passes to conductors
and their wives was recognized as
part Of compensation. He referred
to the Biblical admonition that the OK
that treads out the corn should have
a mouthful. Mr.. Geyer argued tha,
the commission had full jurisdiction
He represented the local branch OF
the Order of Railway Conductors.
Beidleman's Views
Senator E. e. Beidleman Harris
burg representing the trainmen said
that the Baltimore and Ohio provided
for membership in relief association
as a condition of employe and said
that for years the issuance of passes
to families of railroad employees had
been recognized as a matter of course
would not be able to retain men in
isolated places unless they gave school
passes so that their children could
enjoy educational advantages in larger
communities.
In addition to the trainmen Sena-
tor Beidleman represented the
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers
the Order of Railway Conductors and
the Order of Railway Telegraphers.
r. w. Barrett of New York repre-.
senting the Lehigh Valley Railroad
said that issuance of passes to EN-.
ployes and dependents had been ar
established policy of his company fol
years and that in his opinion there
Is nothing in the act to prevent the
company issuing passes.
When asked by Chairman Ewing II
his company wanted the commission
to make an order allowing passes, Mr.
Barrett said that the companies haG
been leaning backwards so long from
force of habit that it asked the com.
mission to bear with it a little longer
Darlington on Clerical Rates
Bishop j. Fl. Darlington of the
Episcopal Church spoke In favor o1
reduced rates for clergymen saying tha-
ministers in great part of their work
were engaged in civic duty and thai
their presence in different charges or
the same day made possible by low
rates was great advantage to com.
munities. He said the country minis.
ters would be put to a great hardship
if reduced rates were withdrawn be-
cause they seldom if ever Travelled
interstate. The bishop argued thai