National Republican., 1874-04-02
RAILROAD ALARM-PUNCH.
ADOPTION By THEFASHINGTONA AND
GEoRG EroWN CoMPAHF.

ADOPTION BY YTHEWASHINGTOHA AMI
GEoRGEroWH coMPAHT.
THE UNVARNISHED FACTS - REVOLT
AMONG CONDUCTORS - EMBARRASSED
FINANCIAL CONDITION OF THE COMPANY
NEW CARS AND STABLES INCREASED
PAY FOR CONDUCTORS.
It has now become generally known that the
company owning the roads on Pennsylvania ave
nue., Seventh and Fourteenth streets has recently
changed the cashier system OF conducting Its cara
Instead Of allowing the conductors to collect fare.
and make change, as heretofore, It has now placed
in the hands Of each conductor patent aalarm
punch,n Of most skiiffui design, with which the
conductor is required ts punch q pAsteboard slip
: Tor each fare received. The piece OF pasteboart
goes into the cylinder OF the punch and register
In the instrument q made OF Its action so that q
complete record Of Ilares received IS thus kept;
so that the money, the punched cardboard, the
pieces Of Il which pass into the punch, and the
nunber Of registers inside the punch, murt all
correspond or tally 10 show Q correct account OF
each "trip. This Is o most remarkably complete
petens, snd has been adopted BY ALI the principal
street railroad companies in Europei and By those
of Philadelphia, Boston, cleveland, Cincinnati
and Chicago and will be put in operation on the
roads IN Baltimore this week.
prepeafs dtsh0aesfy on the part of any conductor
who is disposal to be dishonest; 10 prevents mis-
f6kss Of any kind In manr account, whether IN
teutionGl or uninteneionsl and C gives each con.
ductor an opportunity to show TO each passenger
that be has made the proper disposition Of the
fare taken; l. e., prevents suspicion on the part
otpassengers, and this to q traly honest man is 9
great Consideration s-aa =s --.. b..
, On the part Of 1.-THE company It is simply an effort
to get all that belongs to 1t --. .-.
| - WITHOUT ANY REPLICATION
of any mans honesty. While the adoption Of the
alarm-punch is to bsget greater security for the
company, It is no check on an honest man, but
must act as o moralizer, in that 1t is an exposer
(or better, as before said, prsVsntiVe) Of dis
honesty. a-.
: These punches are hired to railroad companies
at royalty Of Is cents each per day. This CON-
pany runs sixty cars, which, ct Is cents each,
makes the new system cost the company tl5 per
day, or little over q, 900 per year.
.As has aiready been stated the so-called inno-
walton caused revolt on the part OF number OF
the conductors two days since, and about twenty
of the number declined to continue their services
If compelled to use the alarm punches. They were
accordingly discharged; but President Phillips
says that the statement which appeared in o
cotemporAry, that all the conductors had quit,
is an unWarrantable slander on the great bulk of
those regarded as particularly eficIent-who
have remained.
Much sympathetic comment has been made in
behalf Of such Of the conductors have chosen TO
regard the change asa
c' REFLECTION on THEIR HONESTY.
Such appears to have been the farthest from the
intention Of the company in adopting the punch
for use It was rather Q protection from any
temptation t0 be dishonest, and q shield from the
base, yet prevalent, suspicion heaped upon
street conductors oil over the country OF being
dishonest.
1t has been accepted by the mass Of the conduc-
tors in the same spirit, which has induced its
adoption by the company, and everything is work.
ing enthusiastically and tremendously. While It
is not intended any reflection on the conductors
OF this company It is stated as fact that for two
years past this company has not declared o divi-
dend, while during the same period, the Colum
biA and Metropolitan companies, whose roads
traverse H and F Streets have declared reason
able dividends, ant yet the Washington and
Georgetown carries four times the number Of
passengers at the same price for tickets, that
either o. these roads carries. No odlum has at
tached to either OF these roads, which do not even
allow their conductors Tor driyers) to receive or
deposit the fare under any circumstances" and so
piacard their caIs.
Why, then. should indignation bo heaped upon
the " ashington and Georgetown company for in--
stItuting plan by which to insure the receipt of
all Its earnings, though 1t should have been remiss
In this respect heretofore.
Financially, the road IS at present In 9 most
crippled condition, having a floating debt Of
go Og8 which payable in largo monthly INSTALL
ments all payable within SIX months. Beyond
this 1t has an outstanding debt Of S55,OO0 and in
addition thereto, It, bonded deb: Of 900.
Having thus about Zoo 900 of invested money
which has not paid cent Of dividend for two
years. is it at all remarkable that 1t should adopt
q modern cashier system in preference TO one at
least franght with many temptations, and render
ing II the victim Of losses at the hands Of any one
or more dishonest mon who might get in It's en-
pIoy, though the great body Of Its conductors be
possessed OF sterling honestly
II vaxa as yvsII- - LL--.~ 7. eSeuaTt, II. ..
Claim & Co., Lord & Taylor, and other leading
merchants of New York for instItuting the mod
ern system Of having all change furnished by the
cashier, and having all measured goods which are
sold re-measured by one party kept for the pur-
pose. This is done to prevent alike dishonesty |
and mistakes, and has boen adopted in whole or |
In part by the leading dry goods merchants all |
over the country, Washington included.
Much sympathy has naturally been accorded to |
the car conductors and drivers Of this city In that
they are so Wretchedly paid for tho severe hours
they have TO work; and from this has arisen the |
curing greater strictness the part Of the con-
ductors.
But while It is lamentable that men should |
have to work sixteen hours for two dollars, Il Is
not fair for the public to demand that as an Offset
loose system Of accountability should be prac- |
tioed by the company. The two things are In no |
way connected, and President Philips has already !
expressed his determination that the Washington |
and Georgetown company shall be among the |
hrst to increase the conductors pay, and thus |
correct what he, with the community, deems at |
least pity. But owing TO the financial state
ment given above, together with the fact that |
there exists crying necessity for new cars, repair
Of roads, stables and other Gppurtenances, It Is /
impossible to take the desired step at once.
1t Is the best proof Of the uprightness Of the |
conductors to know that the great majority ap- |
preciate the financial embarrassment Of the road
snd are working contentedly and honestly to |
gain livelihood until . good providence shall |
open better positions 10 thom elsewhere, or ena-
BILE the road through greater receipts to give |
them better pay.
It lie anticipated that the cost Of the hire Of the
punches will be more than covered by the 'diseon-
tinuance Of the detective system Which this, with
other companies, has always been compelled to
kesp at work.
There seems no Just reason Of complaint at the
,hange made By the company, and It is anticI-
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