New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-04-24
IN THE CYCLING WORLD.
COMMENTS OF DIFFERENT KINDS UPOi
THE ARMSTRONG BAGGAGE ACT.

CONSUL PorTER's oprNIoNs-THE VIEWS OF
RAILROAD MEN.
Isaac B. Potter Chief Consul OF the New-York
State Division OF the League OF American Wheel
men. when seen yesterday. said that the fight had
been fought and the battle won, and that there
was really little to say about the matter.
1--WE asked the Trunk Line Association to give our
committee a hearing" he said. but the reply
received curt. and TO the effect that the
! railroad men had already made up their minds
Sod I had hady Changed his nina now doesn't it? This
talk about the carrying Of bicycles being hard,
nonsense. The new law will really operate to the
advantage of the railroads, for the simple reason
may feel disposed to tip baggage man FOR look
ing after his wheel, where he did not feel IKE do
orbltant rates for carrying his wheel. The new
law is really blessing in disguise for the o roads
and they will see 1t In time. Most great re'orhhS
are frowned upon at first"
The report that the New-York Central Railroad
was still charging a tariff for carrying bicycles,
although the Armstrong act had declared bicycles
to be baggage was denied yesterday by the man.
agement OF the railroad. Mr.. Depew said that.
while the law an obnoxious one. and one that
ne had bitterly opposed. the railroad would OBEY
the law; that the report to the contrary was all
wrong and that general orders had been issued to
all divisions OF the road to carry wheels as bag
gage. Mr.. Depew went on to say: mo one can
tell how much this bill Is going to hurt us. There
are for example In my family four persons who
ride wheel Suppose / was going 10 Niagara
Falls for trip Of two weeks. The children would
want to take their wheels and the trunks would
have to CO. too. Mr. Potter says that the bill
really helps the railroads. for we are compelled
by law to carry 80 pounds OF baggage Tor each
passenger. and. as wheel Is so gh,, c -, nov
law. That is wrong. One bicycle taxes up as
much room as four trunks and REQUIRES d1ur uss
oh Vol
they Grated. and they are not Drougnt 10 US
in that shape The Emit E%re spr has
that the passengers carried on that tram rh AVE-
bhsrgage-car and half smoker will carry all the
baggage needed We have TO trim tnat S .raln
down like racehorse to make the speed. seven even
cars are all that we allowed to have to keep
within the schedule. Many days we are co IN
peIled to refuse sell tickets on this train be-
cause we cannot carry all that wish to go, Now
comes the bicycle act II we are coinipe'i ~ no
necessity OF dropping passenger-car and ADD,
ing a new baggage-car some mornins you 49,, W.,
, ,re TO Buffalo this train, because
bicycles must go, and perhaps ~ my ayy,ogather %
discontlnuance OF such fast service ai'ose'"ei'
The feeling among the baggage men Is most
acute and they were in venomous mood yester-
day II there anything tangiole 10 sr'Ae
aRa,ns, II is possible that they would go out one
baggage man said Il know the road cannot help IT,
and so there IL no kicking there IL makes
,hou, four times as much work for us 10 carry
wheels as It did 10 carry the old run OF baggage
and we get no more pay. As the road gets nothing
for handling the wheels We cannot ask TOT extra
money see Potter says that there are ''o"
wheelmen in New-York State Well. there are
:, c.o r,ilroad men. The wheelmen have got Whdt
,hev want and they won't vote any different on
arcount OF the bill tell you, the railroad men
40 sick Of this business. venture 70 say tnat II
Morton we're to run for President 5000 rallroaa
men in New York would vote against MIN LOT lhss
- no other reason. These wheelmen come TO US ana
sav maj they have us. They laugh at us ana nag
us We have got to carry the wheels ana OK TX
cood care Of them. We held accountable TOT
env damage and the funny thing IL that every
Wheel that is damaged cost Sl2j no matter wnat
ne make may be- 1t hurts the freight agents me
haggare men the conductors, the brakemen ana
err branch OF the service The question Is most
acute and We shall see who has the greater pull
the wheelmen the railroad men,
The Race Committee of the Metropolitan Asso-
citation OF Cycling Clubs has chosen as officers OF
tho Irvngton- Mllburn road race nearly all OF the
rnor wbo served last year and previous occa-
s,ons as follows Referee. VIII X. P!tman; hahdi-
canner F. T. Prial: judges. p. A. Brock. FRED heer
waldo = Fuier. Carl Won Lengerke, j. j. Woous
" r. Starrett c. F. kirerker timers; ". u