The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-05-26


The Omnibus Strike.
The interruption of stage travel on Broad
way is an event in our municipal life, and
many elderly gentlemen who yesterday after
noon found themselves beleaguered at Trinity
church, without their slow, easy-going, COM
Portable omnibus, must have regretted that
they had not gone into pedestrian training
earlier in life. The drivers could not have
taken less convenient time, for the day was
unusually bleak and wretched, with rain and
thunder and q continuance Of our dreadful
spring weather.
As we understand the case, it is this: Un-
der the old omnibus system, when there was
no check upon the collection Of fares, the own
ers did not earn within forty per cent Of
what they earn now, For now there is new
system-a mysterious machine with traps and
pulleys enough to alarm timid old ladies,
which makes every passenger his own fare
collector and general auditor of the accounts
Of the company. The result is that the forty
per cent which was wont to swell the revenues
Of the drivers no longer goes to them. Con-
sequently they demanded higher wages. They
say, virtually, that before they were paid small
wages with the knowledge that they taxed the
general receipts Of the company. In other
words, the owners condoned and approved
their act, and virtually became partners in it
by paying insufficient and absurd salaries.
Now that there is no longer any chance to add
to their wages from the common till they de-
mand an increase from the company.
The first point that arises is this: If the
company have had an addition of forty per
cent TO their receipts they can afford to in
crease the wages of the drivers and to reduce
the stage fare to the same price charged by
the horse cars. Another point is that in all
business the payment of small wages is simply
a premium upon dishonesty. All labor is
worth its price and is sure to obtain its price
Poor pay means poor work. We do not dis
cuss the honesty Of the drivers who helped
themselves out Of the till. Bad as that proceed
ing was, it was practically what the stage
owners expected. Now that there is no longer
the temptation or the opportunity to do this
wrong let the owners promptly pay the
drivers what their labor is worth. Their de-
mand is just and it should be conceded
The Board OF Education and city
Taxation.
The Board of Education have agreed to re-
spond to the application of the Board of Ap-
portionment for reduction of the expenses
of the several departments of the city govern
ment by cutting down their former estimates
one hundred and Atty thousand dollars. The
saving is effected by suspending the 'spur-
chasing of sites and erection of new school
buildings" which dispenses this year with an
expenditure of one hundred and twenty five
thousand dollars, and by reducing tie ap-
preparation for alteration and repairs to
school houses to the amount of twenty-five
thousand dollars more. The work is needed.
The interests of the public schools demand
that it shall be done. But in view of the
necessity Of "curtailing every expense that
can possibly be postponed, the Board Of Edu-
cation come to the conclusion that they will do
as well as they can with their present accom-
modations until 'the public treasury is in o
more favorable condition"
1t is to be hoped that the example of the
Board Of Education will be followed by other
departments. Wherever work that can afford
to await "a more favorable condition of the
public treasury" is in progress or in contem-
plation it should be dispensed with as the
building and repair of school houses are dis
pensed with. The large OUTLAWS on tunnels,
bridges, museums and other buildings in
Central Park can be better suspended than
the expenditures on the public schools. 1t
would be better that the Dock Department
should be abolished altogether and its duties
transferred to some other department than
that single school district should be left
without sufficient accommodation. Every
member OF the Board of Apportionment
should bear these facts in mind in voting on
the new "fnal estimate" for the current years
taxation.
WILL ONLY HAVE GOLD FOR DUTIES. Mr..
Beck, Of Kentucky, offered bill in the House
Of Representatives yesterday to make the pay.