The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1888-11-01
SYSTEMS or .'ct,scKAcs..
Joe Howard Thinks They Are a Nuisance,
Policy OF Honesty

Eoucy OF Honesty.
Are we nation Of liars. thieves
cheats9 If not, what is the meaning of
the universal suspicion which poisons
every brothers cup9 Why these checks
In street cars, these mechanical contriy.
ances III barrooms, these private detect
I've agencies? You remember what n
huooub WIS created years ago when con-
ductors were compelled to wear massive
lneuallonS, with intricate mechanism,
supposed to show correctly the number of
tares taken. They looked like SO many
japanese gods with bungling. onerous.
ourdensome ornaments about them. The
directors suspected that the conductors
were stealing, and every time the con.
auctor pulled the spring that rang the
oeil he challenged public scrutiny, and
the suggestion came to every mind, stthe
company suspects this man to be thief -
and SO they did suspect every man ia be
thief, and they doubted the accuracy
OF thelr mechanism as well, because CO
verify and secretly they sent spoilers,
old men, young ladies, tender children,
workingmen In every possible disguise,
70 keep tally Of the number Of people
who rode upon the cars and paid fare
for the privilege AS it was in Boston
SO it was in New York and in all the
great centers. The system of checkage
In use upon our railways TODAY is not
only expensive to the companies and an
intolerable nuisance to the travelling
public, but direct inapugning of the in.
tegrity OF every man In the employ.
buy ticket from here to Boston.
and pay in advance. 1 pay IS for nv
ticket, and $3.50, or whatever, for seat
IN drawing room car. 1t should be
| quite sufficient for me to give up NV
ticket to a gateraan as enter the depot
and my other ticket to the porter in
charge OF the drawing room car, as /
enter the car. Instead of which. 7 an,
| stopped at the gate as / enter the
depot, in order that gaten,an may
punch the ticket. I take my seat in the
car. In comes train conductor, who
takes my ticket and punches it in three
or four different places. 1 settle down
TO read my paper or my book, and along
comes the drawing room conductor. who
takes my ticket and gives me another in
its place, on which he punches the wear,
the month, the day of the month, the
number of the train, the number of the
car, the number of the seat, my destina-
ton and the amount paid, all of which
takes my time and gives him unnecessary
labor. We pass beyond New Haven, and
another conductor comes. and he has to
punch my ticket, and another conductor
comes at Worcester, and he has to punch
the ticket. Then they come along again
and take up the tickets.
Come with me into any of our bar
| rooms, our restaurants, our cafes. Time
was when man could go with his friend
into cafe, order his lemonade or what
ever he wanted, generally the latter,
throw his money on. the counter and
walk out. Now he has to perform the
service of waiter. Having taken his
refreshment he waits while the attendant
turns to o machine at the back of the in
closure. from which he draws a card, or
which is stamped the amount to be paid,
which amount is shown in glaring letter.
| upon the machine as the impression il
made. This the customer is compelled
to carry sometimes distance of hun
bred feet. AT all events he must carr,
it wherever the cashier chances to h
seated. He hands the check and tb
money to the cashier, wipes his mould
and walks away. In othSr words, tb;
barkeeper is distinctly in rmed by thu
procedure that his employer has no faitI
i'll him, and both he and the cashier /.
informed by this mechanism, which reg
listers the amount, that their employer
trusts neither of them.
And, after all, do checks check2
Thieving conductors were supplied by
ingenious mechanics with little arrange
ments by which, while pretending to
register, they in reality pocketed the fare
without registering. Barkeepers, by col
fusion with cashiers, can, if they wish.
defraud their employers. This very week
one of our railroad auditors tumbled over
plan by which fares collected on steam
railways were retained by conductors,
they having duplicate slips furnished
them by the accountant in the office
Human Ingenuity is certain to be met by
human ingenuity. In the long run, tax
ing age after age, accumulated facts
have crystallized themselves into a pro-
verb, Honesty is the best policy" and
dishonest men know just as well as the
good and true that the path TO success
lies in that direction, and that leaving
all question Of morals out of considera-
ton, the best policy" the truest way
in which to serve ones selfish purpose.
is to be honest.
There must be responsibility some
where. Somebody must be trusted, and
all this intricate system of checkage
doesn't amount to shucks. If a man is
dishonest and has not brains enough to
know that. in spite of his dishonest ten
dency, success can be obtained by honest
methods alone, no power this side of
heaven can keep him from cheating, and
cheating for while without detection
Joe Howard in Boston Globe.
A Very Curious Case.
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