The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-05-22
The General Manager Speaks OF
the Operations of the
Check System.
PLEASED WITH PAST RESULTS.
Claims That Seventy-fve Dollars a
Day Is Being Saved for the
Company.

turbed or discouraged by the untoward in
cidents that have developed from the
Inauguration CT the new transfer system
at the corners of Powell and Market and
Third and Market streets, or by the threat
ened action of the Supervisors to abolish
the system. the Market-street Railway
Company is considering the extension of
the system to the Howard and Tenth
streets corner, the point where, next to
those already protected, the largest
amount of transferring is done.
General Manager E. P. Vining was asked
yesterday how the innovation was operat-
ing, so far as the company's interests were
concerned.
He replied that, all things considered,
the plan was satisfactory, though there
were some little inconvenience that it
would be agreeable to see removed, and
added:
"It is working much more smoothly
than at first, when people forgot to eX-
change their checks for transfers or did
not know Just where 10 ind the transfer
agent.
I'VE have not had case reported for
the past week in which a person forgot to
make the proper exchange for transfer
before boarding his car. The trouble that
has been occasioned by people insisting on
riding on checks has been premeditated in
every case, | believe"
Then yoa will continue the present
system in force p was asked.
Certainly. 1t is the best thing we can
do, under the circumstances, to protect,
our business. 1t has effected wonderful
saving in our revenue at these two points
and we have about sixty places where we
transfer; but these two enjoy the largest
business of this kind. Tenth and Howard
l. . 49, I'll
and there is considerable OF this objection
able traffic in transfers carried on there.
which we shall have to STOP"
us II, then, the intention to extend the
new check-transfef system to that point?"
I'VE shall have to do so, unless we find
some other way of preventing the COM
pany from being robbed, P" answered Mr.
Vining, who then went into the whole
transfer question, as viewed by himself, as
follows:
Our position in relation to transfers involves
consideration OF the purpose for which trans
-fers are issued.
Most OF our large American cities have a
small and compact business district, from
which street railway lines radiate TO all the
residence sections OF the city, so that nearly all
the people are able 10 travel back and forth
between their homes and their places OF bust
ness by through street-car lines without trans
fer
The business interests of San Francisco
however, are widely scattered, and the City is
so laid out that notwi thstanding the fact that
the number OF miles OF street-car lines is
larger in proportion TO the population than in
almost any other city in the world, there are
many citizens who cannot get from their
homes to their places of business by any
through line, and they are therefore compelled
TO make one or more trans fers on their way
transfer is always Objectionable, and is
used only as the best practicable substitute for
through line OF cars in cases in which it is
lmpracrcable TO run the cars through without
change.
II is we'll understood In caeac in ,rbiob oors
run through, that single Scent fare pays for
only single continuous trip in one direction.
Pas sengers do not expect permission 10 leave
the car ana transact business and then enter
another car and continue the trip al for a
single fare, and they do not exact permission
TO leave the car and give their places TO other
passengers all Tor single fare neither 90 pas
sengers expect TO be permitted to make Il
round trip and come back TO the point from
which they started all for single fare.
Our transfers are issued only for the purpose
OF giving passengers as nearly possible the
same accommodations which they would have
IN case the car ran through to the desired des-
tlnaton-that is TO say, they are given for the
purpose of enabling passenger TO make a
sipgle continuous trip in one general direc-
ton, and such trip should be continued by
taking HI the proper junction or crossing point
the hrst car OF the proper line leaving or pass
passengers arrival thereat.
Hence ii is not proper that passenger trav-
cling upon westbound car ana transferring
TO north or south bound car should be given
second transfer to eastbound car which
would take BIN back near to his original start
ing point Neither should transfer be con-
slderAd good for passage on any other than the
designated line on cars travelling in the desig-
mated direction, or for passage from any other
place than the designated junction or cross
ing. Neither should a transfer which is given
10 passenger for his own use be turned over
for use by another person.
1t is unfortunately the case that among $780,
ooo people there viii always be some who are
ulshonest, and many more who are either mis-
informed or thoughtess; hence many of the
transfers that this company has issued have
been mlsuseo in such manner as TO defraud
the company of considerable percentage o.
It's legitimate earnings.
II Is well known Tor instance to nearly every
citizen of San Francisco that passengers leay
ing the cars at the junction of Powell and Mar
ket streets have been assailed and almost as
saulled by crowd of BOYS, begging for trans
iers, ana mat very large proportion OF trans
fers issued at that point have been misused
Very many OF the passengers arriving at that
corner do not desire or intend TO go any fur
ther, their business calling them to some one
OF the hotels. theaterS or stores in that neigh
hood. Nevertheless, it has been the practice
OF very many OF these passengers to take a
transfer and give ii away. 1t has even been
the practice OF a mum Der of reputable business
men to take such transfer and give it toa
boy in the morning, and then TO obtain a trans
fer from the same boy in the evening, and thus
make round trip from and to their homes for
a single scent fare, the boys profit in the
transaction being obtained from the occasional
sale of a newspaper. So, too, many ladies' &C.
tuated by the most charitable motives, have
stopping 10 think that they were thereby aid
ing a fraud upon the railroad company and
were helping to teach the boys 10 try to obtain
money in questionable ways, rather than by
honest labor.
Although nearly every one has seen some
thing of the traffic in transfers, yet ii is proba-
BILE that very few have had any realization of
the great extent 10 which il has been carried on.
The business has not been entirely broken
up, put our statistics show tn lat without any
perceptible change in the volume of business
we are, under the trans fer-agent system, issu-
ing 600 transfers per day less the corner of
Third and Markets streets than we did before.
At the corner OF Powell and Market streets the
ammunition OF transfers upon the Powell-street
line has been about 500 per day and upon the
Eddy-street line about 100 per day.
In each case the reduction in the number of
transfers has been accompanied by CORE
spending Increase in the numbe of cash fares.
II is therefore evident that the change in the
transfer system has cut off 1900 fraudulent
transactions per day, in each OF which trans
actions three parties were engaged.
Although 5 cents is small sum. 1900 times
5 cents or S75 per day, or $4,000 per year, is
not small sum.
1t is the duty of the officers of the company
which has been defrauded of this amount to
put stop to such u loss If possible. For this