The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1915-02-12
New Rule By |. G. and Y. { W.
Relative to Fares Paid on Train.


ana the Yazoo & Mississippi Valley
railroads recently placed in effect in
mississippi a rule requiring Conductors
10 collect excess train fare from mas
sengers boarding trains without tickets.
Oh. IONS where Ticket Agent is on
w. oery Clerk ~"rs board trains
at stations Vine. no T;cket
Agent on duty no excess train fare is
collected.
From 1907 to 1912, under the Missis
sippl law, Railroads could have collect
l cent per mile in addition to the ticket
fare, but this charge was considered
too high by the Railroads and it was,
therefore, not taken advantage of.
Recognizing that the public have
been permitted to pay cash fare on
trains for number of years and an
ticlpating there might be objection to
the new rule, if the public did not know
the conditions under which it was in
augurated, it was thought best to give
the following information through the
Press.
There is no discrimination against the
state of Mississippi in placing this new
rule in effect, as an additional collection
applies In nearly every state in the
Union; in a great many states the
charge is even higher. For example,
in Alat anna, Florida, North and South
Carolina and Virginia the additional
charge is Is cents. In Georgia / cent
per mile in addition to the ticket fare.
In Oklahoma from 10 to so cents, &C.
cording to the ticket rate.
During the fiscal year July 1918 to
June 30th, 1914 inclusive, 14S,279 pas
sengers paid fare on l. C. trains with
in the state of Mississippi and during
the same period $40, 4O2 passengers paid
fare on Y. & M. V. trains within the
state of Mississippi; these fares
amounted to $43, ,891 GA on the |. C. and
Sl84, 955. 78 on the Y. & M. V. In ad-
dition there were 16,642 passengers on
the |. C. and 80, $40 passengers on the
Y. & M. ", with a total revenue of
over $36, 10000, paid fares on trains
between Mississippi stations and sta
tions in Louisiana and Tennessee, max
ing grand total of 1886, ,S72 Mississippi
passengers paying fares on trains dur
ing one year, the total fares amounting
to $265, 597. .93.
Over so per cent of these fares were
paid from stations at which the Rail-
road Company goes to the expense OF
maintaining Ticket Agency. Over
62 per cent of the Ticket Agents in
Mississippi are paid commission or
| tickets sold at their station and it is,
therefore, evident to readers of this
article that these commission Agents
during the fiscal year referred to, die
not receive the remuneration they were
entitled to, on account of the failure Of
passengers to purchase tickets.
That these commission Agents are
entitled to receive their commission or
business originating at their station
there can be no question, and the OF
ficers of these Companies thought i
best to establish an additional charg,
for fares paid on trains from stations
at which a Ticket Agency is maintain
ed and therefore, commencing Januar.
1st, 1915, Conductors were instructe
to make a collection of 10 cents in ad
dition to the ticket fare.
The primary duty of Conductor
to supervise the operation of his train
A comparatively small portion of hi
time is taken up in collecting tickets
but the work incident to the collectio
of cash fares, looking up rates, maxim
change, and answering Inquiries rels
tive to distances and amount of fares
takes a great deal of the Conductor
time.
1t might be well to call attention
the decision of the Supreme Court
Mississippi in the case of Forsee VI
Alabama Great Southern Railway Co
63 Miss, page 72, in which it was d.
cided that, at is competent for raj
road corporation to adopt reasonab
rules for the conduct of its busines
and to determine and fix, within tt
limits specified in its charter and exis
ing laws, the fare to be paid by pa
sengers transported on its trains.
may, in the exercise of this right, mal
determinations as to the amount of fal
! to be charged for the same distance,
charging higher rate when the ia
t is paid on trains than when ticket
{ purchased at its office. Such a regui
z ton has been very generally considers
reasonable and beneficial both to Il
public and the corporation, if carri
out in good faith. 1t imposes no har
D ship or injustice upon passengers. W
f may, if they desire to do so, pay the