, 1888-11-07
SYSTEMS OF "cHeckAeE.u
Joe Howard Thinks They Are a Nuisance
Policy of Honesty.

Policy OF Honesty.
Are we a nation of liars, thieves,
cheats2 If not, what is the meaning of
the universal suspicion which poisons
every brothers cup? Why these checks
in street cars, these mechanical contriv-
ances in barrooms, these private detect
i've agencies? You remember what a
hubbub was created years ago when con-
ductors were compelled to wear massive
medallions, with intricate mechanism,
supposed to show correctly the number of
fares taken. They looked like so many
Japanese gods WitfT huugffug; onerous,
burdensome ornaments about them. The
directors suspected that the conductors
were stealing, and every time the con-
ductor pulled the spring that rang the
bell he challenged public scrutiny, and
the suggestion came to every mind, ''the
company suspects this man to be a thief"
and so they did suspect every man to be
a thief, and they doubted the accuracy
of their mechanism as well, because CO.
verify and secretly they sent spoilers,
old men, young ladies, tender children,
workingmen in every possible disguise,
to 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 a direct impugning of the in
tegrity of every man in the employ.
| buy a ticket from here to Boston,
and pay in advance. l pay SIS for my
ticket, and $3.50, or whatever, for a seat
in a drawing room car. 1t should be
quite sufficient for me to give up my
ticket to a gateman as l enter the depot,
and my other ticket to the porter in
charge of the drawing Dom car, as l
enter the car. Instead of which, l am
stopped at the gate as l enter the
depot, in order that Il gateman may
punch the ticket. l take my seat in the
car, In comes a train conductor, who
takes my ticket and punches it in three
or four different places, l settle down
10 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 year,
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 a man could go with his friend
into a 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 a waiter. Having taken his
refreshment he waits while the attendant
turns to a machine at the back of the in
closure, from which he draws a card, on
which is stamped the amount to be paid,
which amount is shown in glazing letters
upon the machine as the impression is
made. This the customer is compelled
to carry sometimes a distance of a hun
dred feet. At all events he must carry
it wherever the cashier chances to be
seated. He hands the check and the
money to the cashier, wipes his mouth
and walks away. In other words, the
barkeeper is distinctly informed by this
procedure that his employer has no faith
in him, and both he and the cashier is
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 faro
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
a 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 c~rystallized themselves into a pro-
verb, Honesty is the best policy and
dishonest men know just as well as the
good and r u 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 "a be obtained by honest
methods alone, no power this side of
heaven can keep him from cheating, and
cheating for a while without detection
Joe Howard in Boston Globe.
A Very CuriouS Case