The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-03-11
HERE is THE TRUTH.

Webster, March 10.
Editor of The Spy
The Webster and Dudley street rail-
way corporation and employees have,
as everybody must perceive, and es-
pecially those who find the spare time
| to glance at the Telegram, been the OBJ
JectS or much open criticism and I'M
reserved discussion. For months past ii
| seems to have been the pleasure of
many of our citizens to speak of the
electric road in as derogatory and un-
derrating manner as possible. When
ever the ghost of possibility of sus-
picion on the part of the corporation
| presented itself many seemed only toe
| glad to air their pessimiStic forecasts.
The whole corporation, in fact has
been regarded as unenergetic, and their
conduct of the road deserving of the
seVerest censure. In a word, they have
been rallied as a public nuisance which
| should be removed as speedily as pos
sible.
Frequently, too, because the car Off
Gals fail to hear the yells of would be
passengers shouting from within their
homes, or because they cannot accom-
modate certain shoppers by laying over
at some convenient turnout, they are
and uncivil class.
Evidently many Of these "kickers
are the very ones who last winter
when they were obliged either to quiet
ly remain at home or weather the ele-
ments as best they could, would have
been satisfied with single car week
The latest exhibition of the above
sentiment in regard to the road APP
peared in the columns of the Telegram
Of March 8: In point of absurdity and
absolute fallacy this latter declaration
Is the most ridiculous on record Where
the Telegram man could have obtained
such ideas is indeed a mystery.
In that issue he stated that a great
injustice was being done the school
children in that a car book owned by
two or more children of the same fam
ily attending different schools in the
town was not available for the use of
all three. In further explanation of his
idea Of existing conditions the writer
says that while the possessor of the
book may ride on its reduced rates, the
other children must either pay full fare
or journey on foot.
Now it happens that just the opposite
of these allegations are the conditions
which obtain in our present system of
school rates. Day after day children
of the same family go to and from
school on the same book, having had
their name inscribed therein. In case
they attend different schools or other
wise cannot be on the same car togeth-
err, they can simply remove one Of the
coupons, which will be as readily ac-
cepted as though the complete book
had been presented
In no way can we see how a more
liberal or generous system could be en-
ployed than is at present in existence.
Scholars can not only ride to and from
school on their book, containing 100
rides for $3.50, but they are accorded
the same rates riding to any point of
destination on the whole line, and at
any time.
The two ways in which we can ac-
count for the Telegrams statement are
that he has either made a DELHI
crate falsehood or is guilty of an ig-
norance relative to certain electric road
conditions which is entirely inexcusa-
BILE.
Though we admit that the corpora
ton has not conducted affairs to COM
plete satisfaction we fail to see how
such misrepresentation and criticisms
as instanced above, or how laying any
blame on the car officials who on the
whole we have found to be accommo-
dating and gentlemanIy in every re-
spect, can be expected to effect any
reform. P. e. Q.