Telegram-herald., 1890-12-29
CAR FARES TOO HIGH
A Voice Raised Ia Behalf OF the
Working People.
sEsEy 10 Ten PER CENT. REQUIRED
of sAs i.esEsnx Msa .. Wsaaa',
wsss.s - Carry fhsaA 80 ssa
kFsa Wexk-lt Alxht Ne
Bsas IsE Msch lsss.

~@1 A~~AStsre . HtJlC Anu uiOtE katttH-
the attention of the people ali over the
country, and tie belief u becoming
very prevalent that the franchise for
dong this business should be sold fer
goodly sums, and the best Of service a.
the lowest rate, gwen IN return. Once
. Week, New York publication, ad-
yoeates = accent fare for working peo-
pie IN the following;
There have long been loud COM
plants Of the lack OF accommodation
on the New York elevated roads,
and the popular indignation is Low
known 10 be well-founded, the man
ayers having admitted that during the
past summer they might nave run
many more trains, had they so chosen.
Now that public feeling on this subject
IS aroused, there Is no doubt that these
railways Will be forced 10 render at
least partial equivalent for their val
liable franchises by providing passen-
gers With seats. instead OF obliglng them
To hang on TO straps. This, however,
is not by any means the only conces-
sion which these rich corporations
should make 10 the community, from
which their privileges are derived and
whose servants they are. The time has
come for material lowering of the
rates Of fare OH the elevated roads,
during those hours of the morning
and afternoon when working people
are gong to and from their daily
toll. The present chaIge-fve cents
each way, or ten cents for going and
returning-is cut of all proportion to
the daily earnings of the majority of
the laboring population. Under the
present schedule of fares, working
woman who obtains q dollar for
days work, must pay in the shape OF
tribute TO the elevated railways one
tenth of her wages. The workman,
who gets dollar and half, is mulcted
of nearly seven per cent. OF that sum
by the same grasping corporations. II
We keep in view the number Of miles
travelled daily by working people on the
elevated railways, we must recognize
that they are made to pay higher rates
than are imposed upon commuters by
suburban roads. One may go, for in
stance, by steamboat and rail from New
York TO Erastina, Staten Island, for ten
cents, and IN the case of commuters. the
charge is considerably less.
Cheap fares for working people are
not however, a lot more needful on the
elevated railways than on the surface
railroads Or uamwavs of New York
City. What Is true, moreover, OF New
York IS true or every city and town III
the United States wnere surface roads
exist. In certain places, TO be sure,
certain amount OF progress has been
made in this direction. In Washington,
for instance. the tare on some street
railroads Is three. cents instead of five.
There ale, unhapply, rs yet but few ex-
amples of such decent consld Grafton
for the narrow resources of hard
working men and women. II the
need OF reform IN this respect seems
particularly fagrant in New York, 1t is
because, according both to the conpu
tatlons OF the Board of Health and the
recent census, no fewer than 100000
inhabitants OF this city dwell IN tene-
ment houses, and must, therefore,
presumably be classed with those whose
moderate earnings cannot Justitiabiy be
burdened with the present high rates
of fare on the elevated and surface
roads. The privilege of carrying such
a multitude back and forth from home
to workshop ought TO be lucrative
enough without extortlng from the day
lahorer or the poor sewlng-glrl from
seven TO ten per cent. OF the wages
gained by 4 days toll.
There rs another reform which an
aroused and indignant public opinion
viii eventually force upon the elevated
and surface roads throughout the
country. We refer to the outrageous
aud indecent over-crOwdIng to which
passengers are continually subjected.
The managers of the steam railways
that convey us from one town to an
other, are wellaware that the law enlOlns
upon them to give a seat to every PAS
sengcT from whom they accept q fare
IA a rule. they live up to- tbs knowl-
edge and perform their duty. II Is
only on the elevated and surface roads
II Cues aad large towns that the fun
d8meutSl obi lsgatlon of common car
rleIs 60 passengers. is incesSantiy and
dehantly violated. lt is especially dur
Ing the early morning and late after
noon hours. wien the cars are used bv
working people. that this outrage Is
Il Il -.
scrts or slaves Of the railway corpora
tons their fundamental right 10 re-
ceIye far equivalent for money ex-
pended could not be more roughly and
contemptu0usly set at naught. In 10
other country upon earth would 50
gross &n imposition he patiently en-
dBred. In England. and on the cont
uent of Europe. street car or omni-
bus : forbidden under heavy penalties
50 admit passengers after ali the seats
are taken. II s only IN this copoi a-
son-berddea isnd that men and women
are made 10 pay fel fares for the PRIV
ilege Of hanging on 20 straps. and Of
Standing huGdled and jostled together
n promlseu0us and Uaseemiy con
tact.
The sole consideration for which a va
usele railway franchise = granted n
sny country ls the promise Of the
grantees TO make travelling s0d trans
pert cheap. InIs promise. IS We have
sad. : broken by toe New York sie-
waited and surface railways. wher they
sxtort from a work nz w0msn ID per
cent. OF Der ds Is earnings for the priv
liere &C holding or e. = strap. ahI.e
gong 70 and frcrs her daily isbof. Ihe
aversgs distance tTsversed hv werssnr
nenr.Is n. \ avv Nnrk lEtn NHe. rasS =