It shall be unlawful for any transportation or transmission company or any person representing such a company to issue or offer to issue a free pass or any special or reduced rates not common to the public to any member of the General Assembly, to any member of Congress from this State, to any State or county official or to any judge of a court of record in this State. But nothing contained in this section shall apply to the Commissioner of Agriculture, nor to any transportation or transmission company or person representing any such company issuing or offering to issue a free pass or any special or reduced rate to the public or to any officer or employee, active or retired, of such company who has earned such pass or such right to such reduced rates by reason of seniority and service to such company.