Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1891-02-07
CLOSE THE UPPER sERTHs.


:
ing Cars will Endorse.
Other States will soon be Urged to
follow the example of Minnesota in
compelling the steering car companies
to close the upper berths of their cars
when they are not occupied. This is
matter which has long been peculiar
aggravation to travellers. On the aver
age the upper berths in sleeping cars
are not occupied half The time, but it
has been the invariab'e rue, until the
Minnesota Supreme Court recently
made the State an exception, for the
car porter to ia ten down the cover of
the box which holds the lower berth
passenger, unless he is willing to pay
double price for his accommodations.
The fortunate traveller In car which in
the course of the night enters the State
of Minnesota now enjoys grudgiDgly
given ventilation and comfort rs soon
as the line is crossed.
The reform in Minnesota was accom-
plished by an order OF the State Board
of Railroad Commissioners. The rail-
road or sleeping car companies rebelled,
but the Supreme Court sustained the
Board, and the new rale is strictly en-
forced. There ia, Of course, only one
opinion about the matter on the part of
the travelling public, while the position
of the railroad eompanie, is but weakly
defended. The slee ing car companies
say, in general terms, that man has
no right TO more than he has paid for.
They admit that the real reason for
shutting in the lower berth passenger is
to induce such as are able to do so to
pay double rates in order to secure
the comfort which more air and room
will yield. If everybody got the priv
ilege free. subject only to the possible
crowding of the car by upper berth pas
sengers, the sale of entire sections to
single passengers would practically
cease and an appreciable source of in
come would be cut Off There is small
profit, almost none ut all, the sleeping
car owners say, in running ears with
only the lower berths occupied and paid
for. They are compelled, however, to
run sleeping cars on many lines where
upper berths are never occupied. To
compel company to give section to
every purchaser of lower berth on
such line would result in dead loss
in operation. The sleeping car people
admit, however, that very small pro-
portion of travellers buy whole section
in order to secure more room and air.
The traveller who is shut into a box
6x2x4 when he may Just as we'll enjoy
the comfort of free circulation of air
above him, by no means sees the matter
in the same light as do the railroad com
psnies. He is needlessly deprived of
physical comfort for a purpose that Is
neither more nor less than a polite
blackmail. It does not cost til railroad
company a cent to give him the fire. b
air which he Graves. To say that he
shall not have it is precisely the same
as it would be for the railroad company
to decree that he shall not occupy fall
double seat in day coach when no one
calls for the second half Of it. 1t would
be more deFensible for railroad com
pany to require the payment OF two
fares for the use of double seat in the
day time, when car is not full, than it
is to deprive a passenger OF air aud
space which are not in use on sleep
ing car In the former case, the pas
senger gets just as much air and almost
as much ease in occupying single seat
as he does in filling double one. But
in the sleeping car he is deprived need
lessly of distinct element of comfort
and safety as we'll.
If the Commercial Travellers Associa-
ton and other organizations of travelling
men should agitate the matter thor
oughly and petition State Boards of
Railroad Commissioners, Legislatures,
ii necessary, the reform adopted by
Minnesota might soon be extended over
the railroad systems of the whole
countrY.-NetU YORK Sun.