New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-11-21
HORSE cARS IND MORALS.


the Pacific, and the concident development
of Christian statesmen Or, coming to minor
themes, il there not food for fine theorlzlDg
in the effect exerted on morality by horse
cars9 There are many branches of this sub
iect. We are not prepared, for instance, with
statistics of the comparative number and In
tensity Of the Oaths Of the jehus on omnibus
tops and the drivers on front platforms. The
consequences of balkiness in the respective
teams, and of distractions on the road or the
tramway, would need to be cOllated for the
calculation Then as to the passengers-there
was good humOr in the old stage load,
which we miss in the modern conveyance
when detention occurs. More drunken men
get into cars than ever did into omnibuses.
In the matter OF pickpockets the difference
for the worse almost beggars comparison. we
know Of several instances where sufferers VINO
have lost their second or third timepiece, being
still obliged to ride in the cars, have given up
carrying watch altogether.
But perhaps the most remarkable effect of
the present mode of city lOcomotlOn is In the
matter of car fares. 1t is an admitted fact
that in considerable proportion of cases IL
the conductor neglects to ask for the fare, the
passenger fails to remind him. There are few
of us who have not seen man whose appear
ance would presuppoSe well-llned pocket
book and a balance in bank, sitting for
while with five-cent piece between his thumb
and finger, and after the conductor has passed
by, quietly slipping the coin back into his vest
pocket. There is, however, greater trust on
the part of the car companies in the average
honesty of the passenger than In that OF the
conductor. The patent box system, more
in vogue in other cities than Our own, de-
ponds upon this faith. Yet we are informed
that even this soon indicates a progressive
decline of morality. The patrons OF new
route pay as they enter with great prOmpti-
tude and honesty; but it is the conviction Of
the road owners that after year or two they
are carrying a considerable number Of regular
passengers who seldom or never pay their
fares.
But the deterioration of morals In the case
of conductors, if report speaks truth, IL some
thing frightful to contemplate At all events,
all systems of management at present are
based upon the supposition that conductors ere
dishonest. From time to time change in the
method or the introduction of some cOntriv-
ance for checking the receipts, indicates the
extent Of previous decentralization. The re-
markablc circumstance is that sooner or later
all checking cOntrivances are more or less
evaded, and the old pifering is resumed. The
index that used to be placed in cars to show
the number of fares proved valueless on long
routes, because the conductors soon discovered
that passengers would not trouble themselves
about its record. The patent box was intro
duccd on Brooklyn road, and suddenly
raised receipts by 80 per cent; but gradually
they fell away, and in a few months were at
their previous standard. We all admit that
there is high moral tone about
the atmosphere of Boston that excites our
hopeless envy Yet from that blissful locality
there came some time ago a tale Of ingenious
hOrse-car immortality which would raise a
blush on the indefinite cheek of a New York
conductor. A company there had introduced
the punch-gOng system. Each conductor, as
he took fare, was obliged to squeeze n
punch which marked its record on a slip of
paper, and simultaneously rang a small
gong attached to the punch. The passenger
was to note the ring of the gong. For a
while the receipts were largely swelled. Then
they declined. At length they reached a
lower point than ever before. Detectives rode
up and down in the cars, listened faithfully
for the note of the gong with each fare,
heard it every time, and yet the receipts
were short. Months elapsed, and the propri-
etors were ut their wits end. At length the
trick was discovered. An ingenious artisan
had furnished almost every conductor on the
road with small duplicate gong, which,
carried concealed in the hand, did the ring
ing without the recording.
Now we recollect that there were stories in
the old time about the omnibus drivers who
sorted sixpences-" one for me and one for
" the bossr-and a pleasant legend of one
whom his employer overheard in the process
of sorting and forgave because he threw the
odd sixpence in the boss's pile. But there
was no such systematic loss of morals in an
entire class as this of to-day. AS we have
said, if we had q Buckle, we might be able to
reduce this matter to demonstration. Per-
haps the food question is at the root of the
matter. We all know that the car conductor
is insulliciently fed. He is obliged to snatch
something in the semblance of meal in the
few minutes waiting of the ear at the ends
of the line. His hours are long and weary.
Suppose, "a all other devices have proved
more OF less modified failures, some car COM
pany tries the experiment of giving time
enough for honest sleep and meals to their
employees. We should like, if only for move
tvs sake, to ride in o car with u well-fed
conductor.
We have sometimes thought that there is some
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