The times., 1898-08-13
A SLOGAN OF TRAVELLERS
Passengers Raise the Cry of
One Seat One Fare.
TIE ARGUMENTS EMPLOYED
Street Railroad Men Say the Prop
osftfon il Put Into Practice Would
Operate Against Public Comfort
People Who Ride in Cars Would
Complain.

large cities in the Union, the lone seat
one fare cry has reached Washington.
The lone seat one fare is a slogan or
battle cry for the use of the great army
of citizenry which uses the street cars.
The slogan is rather the worse for fre-
quent poundings and arrests, but is still
at large and able-bodied enough to cause
trouble.
street railroad man said last night:
Some day you may have a train TO
catch and forty seconds in which to
catch it, The depot is three squares dis
tant. but a car is passing and you know
YOU can get there easily if you board the
car. You swing on and find that every
seat has an occupant, but you are well
satisfied TO stand on the platform or
running board.
The conductor will approach and you
will tender nickel, which he will haught-
ily refuse He viii then order you to get
off the car. You will look at him in
amazement ard ask why you should not
ride. You will be informed that every
seat is occupied and because of the 'one
seat one fare" ordinance you cannot stand
up. You must find seat or get on
You will protest, and state that stand
ing room is good enough for you, out
the law has decreed that you must either
ee, off or be thrown off and you lose
your train
An advocate of the zone seat one fare
agitation said: This IS to prohibit rail-
road companies from carrying more pas
sengers on a car than they can provide
with seats
.,No objection is made 10 such condi-
tior of affairs. Each man who boards
car thinks himself entitled TO seat II ne
pays his fare The passing of such a law
Ivould lessen the liability TO accident and
would ensure comfort TO the patrons OF
the railway lines.
..To. keep the service up to the standard
each railroad would be forced to run i
greater number of cars, and to run them
on faster schedule
The street railroad man answered thiS
argument in the following manner:
ITO increase the number of cars Is TO
increase the danger TO life The foremost
Washington companies run about TWO
minutes apart. and. with even the present
number. there is always delay and danger
I'm crossing streets and managing to keep
moving between streets.
What American would feel satisled
should the railroad companies voluntarily
4
son be allowed TO board a car unless there
i sitting room on that car for that per-
son?
There would be loud complaints
against Interference with personal liberty
and about unjust discrimination.
THE average American, as he is in
Washington, has but one real desire when
he halls a car. He wants 10 reach ms
destination. If he can find vacant seat
h.a SC ryiN
a seat he is thankful; but the main de-
sire is to get there He would far
rather stand on a platform or squeeze
into the car than get off and wait for
the next one. He realizes his right 10 a
seat but with careless rush, he Is glad
10 get to a given point in as short a
time as possible, and he viii hang on by
his finger-nails rather than lose ten min
utes.
..rhA .ore seat one fare theory is be-
ing agitated in Washington, and before
long the Commissioners may give its ad-
vocates a hearing.
Gar travellers want seats but they are
against any ordinance which will pro-
hibit them from boarding a car because
the seats are filled and which will compel
them to wait five minutes or half an hour
in q rain storm IL might be, for another
car Then If the seats in the car are
also filled, the ordinance goes far enough
10 compel the intending passenger TO wait
until a car with a vacant seat comes
along: or walk to his destination.
The seat is only secondary considera-
tion with the man who boards the street
car in America The one seat one fare
ordinance was born in Europe and is only
enforced in Europe. In London the or
dinance has waxed fat and strong, but
the Londoner is used 10 jogging along al
a snairs pace and speed is generally NJ
object In Paris the ordinance has founc
admirers. but the Partisan likes to make
half-hour stops on each street cornel
while the conductor talks to friend, ant
1t is a pleasure TO wait even an hour fol
q car with vacant seat
The ordinance has been bitterly re
sented and defeated in the larger cite:
of America. New York is up in arm:
against il. 1t is everything that ii no
American and sentiment in Washington i:
against it"