The morning call., 1893-07-11
Why Not Allow Pupils to
Commute?
THE CAR PEOPLES CHANCE.
Riding on the Streetcars Is Heavy
Tax on the Limited income
of rlany.

many nlicklb uidhS d Hluckle Woulu
seem to be a good one for the streetcar
conductors to-day.
Literally it means "many little makes
much" and applied to streetcar patron
age it sums up the self-evident PROPOSE
ton that a steady volume of travel is
better than a small one, even although
the big volume is made up of cheap fares
Five cents does not seem much. perhaps,
to the business man or the gay bachelor
who springs on car and pays his nickel
fare in the same distracted moment
But it is quite a consideration in fam
lily of children. In these times of financial
stringency mothers have to figure very
closely on ways and means. 1t is only by
the little economies that those two un-
loving lends" so often talked of are ma de
to meet.
Necessaries come first in the careful
mothers mind. of course. and the carfare
is often one of the neeessaries. Father
has TO 60 to work, Tom cannot walk both
ways after his hard day at the engineering
shops, there is an expedition for mother
herself to buy groceries and dry goods
absolutely necessary. All these require
caTfare.
Then there are the children, who must
GO to school. They are all too old to ride
half-tare, ard the walk is too far for the
girls. Little Edna has not been strong since
winter and has nasty cough. she must
ride, Of course, and the elder sister Will
accompany her to care for her. And so it
goes.
How much Of this weary weighing of
nickelS and tenderness might be spared
by little business enterprise on the part
of the companies.
Here is timely suggestion as to how
they make these things pay IN Sacramento:
Editor Cal: On scanning the columns OF
THE CALI. lately | noticed The articles which
appeared In the different issues since, and n-
GLIDING Sundays, concerning cheaper carfare.
Thinking the matter OF import 10 your readers
/ viii instance case IN point
III Sacramento city school children purchase
twenty small disks for 80 cents, or ten for %
cents. each of which is good for one ride on any
OF the streetcar lines OF thai city. The disks
are made OF celluiOid. or some similar almost
inde>tructibe substance, having the name of
The cOmuauy issuing the same ana other tnscrip-
tons stamped upon their surface. They are
openly sold al the large establishment OF Vein
stock Lubin & Co.. on Fourth street, and also
! am told, NJ other stores In Sacramento. |
mention Ne!nStocK, Lubin * Co. because | have
at different times witnessed school children
purchase them there. These disks are about
Ike size and shape Of nickel or scent coin.
Ladies, on shopping bent. are privileged to buy
them also. but 90 not get so many for their
eleven for 90 cents.
1t would seem that the streetcar companies
of San Francisco might pattern alter those of
Sacramento in view of the fact that relatively
speaking, We have greater population of
youths at ending school. TO whom reduced car
fart would be great boon. CITIZEN.
City. July Z, 1898.
Why not?
If the Sacramento companies find that it
paid them TO issue official tokens to be sold
ut easy rates ION taking a quantity" why
not the San Francisco COMPANIES? Ger
tainly there are more children here to ac-
cominodate. az Citizen" points out.
When Rowland Hill thought of reducing
the rates of postage to 2 cents In the Brit
ish Isles he was warned he was quixotic,
not 10 say idiOtc The world knows the
result, and to-day 1-cent rate is not im-
probable
Opportunity begets communion. If car
riding were placed within the wishes of
children all would ride. There would be
more holiday expeditions out of town; more
readiness 10 attend night school and 20
errands for mother.
Parents with limited incomes could bet
ter afford TO go out into the suburbs 10
live. where rent Is cheaper and air and
sunlight purer. At rresent the awful
nightmare of 'carfare" keeps these fam
lilies crowded IL Older districts.
EAs eyes became turned TO the sub
direction improve. It is commonly rec
ognlZed what q marked effect new
carine or even new transfer priv-
iege eXerts upon given neghborhOod
Much more strong would that be if
cheap Communication tickets or tokens we're
given TO the children by some long seeing
company. 1t is the first company smart
enough to act that will have the credit of
the broad-minded movement, but all will
one day take this necessary step.
1t is said that Los Angeles has already
system of tickets in perfect working order
Sacramento has its ccluloid tokens, and
San Francisco before long will have either
or both.
The storekeepers will be as quick TO
grasp the benefit of the little communication
tickets as the children themselves. All the
principal stores will be tumbling over each
other to be allowed the privilege of selling
them as change for customers. For these
storekeepers are astute if the railroads are
not. They see that the moment commuta-
lions are granted there will be a large in
crease in the number OF visitors TO their
places of business. The suburban stores
VIII be benefited by the increased number
going TO live in the suburbs, and the city
stores by the increased facilities for COM
ing downtown.
There need be no fear in anxious
mothers minds that the cheaper rates
:
laZlnesS. The tickets, like the rest of the
small family charge. would be all included
In the mothers accOunt-book and could be
doled out. as nckelS are at present doled-
only with much more lasting and satisfac-
tory effect.
The car companies enjoy valuable fran
chlSes from the city aud profess to be de-
slrous Of making every effort for the pub
lie convenience and accommodation.
They occupy large portion of the streets
with their steel ruts, which have to BIZ
carefully regarded by drivers of vehicles
and by passers-by. They fill I'D important
functions with large turntables, whose
whriing pleasure has TO be awaited bv
teams and pedestrians. And as a reward
for all this they rake in remarkably fine
dividends
If the public were TO ask them to reduce
their income there might be some room for
an cutlery, but in this case there is no de-
maGd Of the kind. Communication tickets,
snch as are suggested, would be an i'm
mense boon to tie children and by their
very popularity would most likely increase
the revenue of the transportation COM
panies; certainly they would not reduce it.
In the mere item of casual loss of tickets
alone the companies would be the gamers.
School has just opened again and tie
children are seen fitting about in all the
buoyancy of holiday health. But many