Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1915-02-18
TO THE PUBLIC.

Agent on duty no excess train
fare Is collected.
For several wears prior to 1907,
under the HiSssssirpi law. Rail-
roads could have collected cent
per mile in addition 70 the ticket
fare. but this charge was con-
sidered too nigh by the Railroads
and was. therefore, not taken ad-
vsntsge Of.
Recognizing that the public
have been permitted to pay cash 4
fare on trains for a number OF
years and anticipating there
might be objection to the new !
rule, ii the pu bic did not know
the conditions under which it was /
inaugurstsd, it was thought best
TO give the following information I
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: 4
in great many states the charge
Is even higher: For example, in 1
Alabama, Florida. North and /
South Carolina and Virginia the
additional charge is - cents. In
Georgia l cent per mile in addi-
ton 10 the ticket fare In Okla
bona from 10 to 80 cents. accord
inz to the ticket rate.
During the fiscal year July 1913
TO June Both, 1914 inclusive.
l4S, 2Ig passengers paid fare on
L. c. trains within the state Of
Mississippi and during the same
period 6i0,4O2 passengers paid
fare on Y & II trains within the
state of Mississippi: these fares
amounted to SIS, S9i.64 on the
/ c., and Sfsi-955.1S on the ,
Y & II v Ia addition there were
IG. 1872 Passengers on the |. c. and !
3, 549 passengers on the Y6My. /,
rlth a total revenue of over S36. !
COCO. paid fares on trains I
between Mississippi stations and :
taticns IN louisiana and Ten
lessee; making a grand total OF :
35,S52 Mississippi passengers /
aging fares on trains durilg one I
ear. the total fares amounting :
, S2o5. 597 3d. Is
Over 30 per cent Of these fares :
Ters paid from stations at when !,
ne Railroad Company goes &c 4
le expense OF maintaining = 4
ieket Agency Over g per cent ,
I the Ticket Agents n Mississippi !
re paid commission on tickets :
Did Il their station and il Is. =
lsrefore, evident 10 readers of r
MS article that these commission 4
Agents- during the fiscal year. ,
erefred 70. did not receive the :
they were entitled
D, on account of the failure of L
'assengers to purchase tickets.
That these commission Agents.
re entitled to receive their CON-
on business originating .
Il their station, there can De no 4
! 4<z-son. and tne officers OF these Il
Cbmpanies thought il best tot
eftabllsh an additional charge fer
fares paid on trains from STA ions
g. which q Ticket Agency Is
maintained and therefore. com
January Isl, 1915, Con-
1uciors were Instructed ID make
= collection OF 10 cents in addItioni
% the ticket fare.
The primary duty of a Con-
fuctor Is 10 supervise the opera
Lion OF his train A comparatively
small portion of his tine Is taken
up IN collecting tickets, tus the
work incident 10 the collection of
cash fares looking up rates,
making change and answering in
quiraes relative 10 distances and
amount Of fares, takes ag-e at deal
OF the Conductors time.
X might De wei 70 call attention /
to the decision of the Supreme
Court Of Mississippi in the case
OF for see vs. Alabama Great
Southern Railway Co., % Miss
page y. in which il was decided |
that, 1T is competent for q rail-
road corporation to adopt reason
able rules for the conduct OF its
business, and ID determine and /.
lx. within the limits specified N
its charter and existing laws, the
fare TO be paid BY passengers
transported on its trains. Ii may,
in the exercise of this right. make
Determinations as TO the amount
of fare to re charged for the same
distance, by charging higher
rate when the fare is paid OF
trains than when ticket Is pur-
chased at its ofl>e. Sucn a
regulation has been very gener-
ally considered reasonable and
beneficial both tc the p1blic and
the corporation. If carried out in
good faith II imposes 40 hard
ship or injustice upon passengers
who may, If they desire 70 do so,
pay their fare and procure tickets
AZ the lower rate before entering
the cars, and il tends TO protect
the corporation from the frauds.
mistakes, and Inconvenience
incident to collecting fare and
making change on trains while in
motion. ana IRON imposition by
those who may attempt ID ride
from one station 10 another with
out payment, aud 10 saa5is con-
11ScssS-s - attend g the various
details of their duties on the train
and at stations" This case is
approved BY the Supreme Court
Uf Mississippi in a later decision
in x a. Al A r r. a. %. P,le