The Topeka state journal., 1919-09-24
THE FnEE PASS Evm.


vacationists returning to Topeka
after the summer season tell the same
story-difficulty in obtaining reserva-
tions, crowded trains, uncertain serv-
ice and general inconvenience.
And they all agree on one thing
that the pass evil has robbed the pay
passenger of his rights.
The government control of railroads
has thrown thousa ands of additional
free transportation travellers upon the
steam highways.
IT was sitting in the club car talk
ing over the pass situation with a man
on the way home from Chicago" one
Topekan relates. I'VE were pay pas
sengers and we decided to bring the
subject into general discussion just to
determine how many men around us
were travelling without cost. We found
that six out of the nine men there had
passes-and we had to wait two days
to get a reservation on that train"
In the case of these men there may
have been a reason for their trans
portation at the expense of the rail-
roads 1t was possible and highly
probable that they were on business.
But listen to what the Topekan's wife
had to say on the subject:
You know how women will become
acquainted in a sleeping car. Well 1
discovered that out OF the six women
I conversed with on that trip. four of
them were on passes"
The question naturally presents it
self-is it fair to the paying public
that families OF railway employees
should crowd the trains over the
country?
Does the dry goods clerks wife pick
out what she wishes in the store and
have it sent out without cost to her?
Does the son OF the automobile
agency mechanic walk in and select a
motor car for his use gratis?
Does the bookkeeper in the coal
yard receive his winters supply free?
Does the grocers deliveryman fill
ployer?
It would be of less inconvenience to
the general public II the above men
toned employees did receive these IA
vors.
The railroads are public corpora
tions. yet the families of the employees
make the public pay the cost of their
rscreations.
Passenger rates have been raised be-
cause OF the increased cost of hauling
the loaded traffic. Along with the
traffic came a large per cent of free
travel-travel not necessary to the
maintenance and the operation Of the
railroads.
In the old days when railroads were
having only spasmodic dealings with
the labor unions and when clerks were
paid starvation wages it was no little
item of consolation to the employe to
know that his family could joy-ride to
California or New York-and the
railroad footed the bill. Now it is
different. Employees are paid wages
more in compensation for services. In
fact many classes of railway employees
are receiving what their officials used
to draw. There is no more need of
offering the transportation induce
ment.
The public Is more concerned with
the operation of railroads than ever
before. The public is beginning to
realize that every rate hike. every
wage hike. every betterment eventual
ly comes from the pocket of the con-
sumner. Along with this realization
the public is recognizing its expense
in sending the families of employees
on vacation jaunts.
The pass evil is no more a matter
Of concern to the stockholders and
operators of railroads. 1t is an evil
that Is felt by the people who are pay
ing such high prices for mileage and
sleeping car accommodations.
Everyone else pays cash for his
pleasure mite-why not the railway
employe?