Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-08-25
Commuters RUSH
TO BUY TICKETS
Ferry and Railroad Stations
Crowded on Last Day of
Low Prices
EXTRA CLERKS TONIGHT

This was bargain day" at the
Chestnut and Market streets ferries,
and at the local railroad stations.
Thousands Of commuters took advan-
tage Of the railroads decision to honor
all communication tickets sold today or
earlier for the full time specified, and
commuters bought as large a supply as
their purses would warrant.
Joseph Taylor, agent in charge at
the Chestnut street ferry, said that be-
tween the hours of 9 and o o'clock this
morning five times as many tickets were
sold as normally are put out between
these hours. G. w. Smith, agent in
charge at the Market street ferry of the
Pennsylvania Railroad, reported similar
conditions. At both ferry houses the
ticket sellers were fairly swamped with
applicants for Communication.
An especially large business was done
in ferry tickets. These have been sold
at the rate Of twenty five cents strip
and after today's bargain sale" is over
will 60 to thirty cents a strip. Many
users of the ferry bought fifty strips.
The railroad officials reported that
early morning travel also was unusually
heavy, many of the commuters taking
earlier trains than usual so they would
have time to lay in their stock of COM
mutation tickets. Even with this pre-
caution, the lines were so long that
large number had to give up their places
finally in order not to be late for work.
The crowds were good -humored in
spite of the time they had to wait. They
figured out the amount Of money they
would save by purchasing the tickets in
advance, instead Of waiting for higher
prices that will be ushered in tomorrow,
and there was much Kidding" Of the
ticket sellers on the way the commuters
were putting it over" on the rail
roads.
The railroad officials had anticipated
rush and posted extra ticket sellers at
the windows. In one of the stations
to accommodate the crowd tickets were
sold from the information window. In
anticipation of another heavy demand
for tickets after quitting time this af-
ternoon extra clerks will be put on be-
ginning at 4 o'clock this afternoon at
all the stations. Tickets will be sold
at the old rate until midnight tonight.
The Commuters League" Jersey
organization, helped spread round the
news that the railroads had decided to
honor all tickets sold before the new
rates 60 into effect. The railroads made
the announcement only yesterday after
noon.
The advance in passenger tariffs goes
into effect tomorrow. AS planned by
the railroads, only those Communication
tickets sold after August l which ran
out in not more than thirty five days
were to be honored after August 26.
There was a great storm Of protest at
this, the commuters claiming that the
tickets sold were contract on the part
of the railroad, and there were some
threats of suit il the railroad refused
to abide by its part of the agreement.
The Pennsylvania Railroad was the
first to announce yesterday afternoon
that it had rescinded the earlier order.
Both the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
and the Reading Railway quickly fol-
lowed suit.
The change in plan means the loss of
many thousands of dollars to the rail-
roads, byt assures fair deal to the
commuters.