Evening star., 1932-10-09

done in "scalping tickets'-that is, the
resale of the unused coupons OF round
trip tickets sold by the railroads. The
transportation companies
Scalping natura ally disapproved
r,L... this practice. but it per
sisted for many years.
The Star of October IL, 1882, thus dis
eusses a legal aspect of the ticket-scalp-
ing problem;
THE innocent third person. purches-
ing without notice of irregularity, ex-
ceptions in whose favor play So pronl-
nent a part in the law OF negotiable
paper. is also to be protected in the
purchase of railroad tickets from unau-
thorized agents, and with equal reason.
In recent case the Supreme Court OF
Pennsylvania laid dovn the principle
that the buyer of ticket is not bound
to inquire into the authority OF the
ticket is good on its face he is not af-
fected by any violation of the law which
an unauthorized agent may commit in
selling 1t. BY the law Of Pennsylvania
it is a misdemeanor, punishable by fine
and imprisonment, for any one not pos
sessed of sealed authority to that end
to sell the tickets Of the railroad COM
panies New York scalper sold q
ticket to a passenger on the PennSyl-
vania Railroad, and the company un-
able to apply the Pennsylvania Law to
the Scalper, refused to receive the ticket
from the passenger in that State, and
in the suit which followed contended that
the Pennsylvania courts could not en-
force contract arising out OF a trans
action which, under the State law. was
criminal. But the court held otherwise,
upon the principle already stated. The
irrepressible conflict between railroads
and scalpers seems in this case to put
| the company in position not only un-
| tenable, but injurious to itself. To COM
pei passenger to decide, under penalty
| Of loss. the legal question whether a
ticket agent has authority to sell Is to
put a clog upon the purchase of tickets
and to reduce the volume of travel. A
railroad ticket is good, in accordance
with it's terms, in the hands OF any one,
and when its sale Is In violation OF law
il anybody is to be punished it must be
the unauthorized agent or scalper."
The following from The Star of Oc-
tober IS. 1882, throws an interesting
light upon the matter of railroad
schedules and rates so years ago;
When the dou-
Protest Against BILE track Of the
Discrimination. mac mstsil Railroad a. shall
be laid the entire distance from this
city to Baltimore the travelling public
will have good cause for congratulation
The average running time between the
two cities will doubtless be reduced con-
siderably and the passage will certainly
bs made with feeling of security and
safety not now enjoyed, These are
things to be thankful for and they will
bo duly appreciated; but they are not
all that the people of Washington are
entitled to in the premises. What thej
want, and what they ought to have, Is
as cheap, quick and comfortable mean:
Of travel to New York as the people oi
Boston now enjoy. In the matter o1
comfort, there is perhaps not much diff
ference; but in respect to expense and
time travellers between the political anc
commercial capitals of the country are
at a disadvantage as compared with
those who travel between the New Eng
land metropolis and New York. A sin
gle example will illustrate this point
The distance from New York to Bos-
ton is greater than from New York te
Washington by some seven or eight
miles. while the advantage Of grade:
and curves is, II anything, also in favor
of the latter route, Yet what do We
see? A limited express train runs, be-
tween Boston and New York, making
the 234 miles in exactly six hours, the
entire through fare on which is IS, be-
ing IS for the railway ticket and 81 fol
the reserved chair seat. On the other
hand, the boasted limited express from
Washington to New York. for a distance
of 227 miles, or less, requires six hours
and 20 minutes time, while the fare 1!
$885, being ST for the railway ticket
and $185 for the reserved chair. The
explanation of this difference is, ol
course, to be found in the fact that
there are competing lines of travel be-
tween New York and Boston, whereas
none exists for the entire distance be-
tween New York and Warrington: But
even with this advantage in the handi
OF the present iiae, the difference shoult
l - a. Dc