The Sunday globe., 1901-06-30
STREET CAR TOPICS
The Tavenner Benevolent SOciety'S
"PrO Rata" Shares.
FARES AND PASSENGERS.
The Reception Manager Fuller Gave the
Pressmens Committed District Fire
Department About 10 bs BuncOed into a
Tavennsr Benevolent SOUety-A Warning,
Other Items OF Interest

Mr.. G. o. Tavenner has a new job.
He is starter at Cabin Johns for the
electric cars. Mr.. TaVenAer will be
remembered as the "it" in the street
car association to bury the dead, and
permit members to withdraw and re-
ceive their pro rata share" of the
funds. These funds are collected, as
previously stated, by assessments of 80
cents per month on the employees.
There are not now so many members
of the Harries-Tavenner Beneficial AS
sociation as there were previous to
The Globes notice of the organization.
But Mr.. Tavenner made funny mis-
take. it is alleged, in calling down" a
man named Richter for not having as
many registered fares as he had pas
sengers. On investigation it was dis
covered that the car Richter started
out with burned out, and in this car
was registered the fares, so that the
new car he was compelled to take
showed but few registers, the great
body of the passengers having paid
their fares in the "burned-out car"
Tavenner gave himself badly away in
this little transaction as the boys are
now onto the fact that they are liable
to be reported if Tavenner thinks they
ought to be,
The recent Withdrawals received
their pro rata shares, an average Of 28
cents each a week ago; this pro rata
share was reduced the past week to the
munificent sum of six cents. A certain
employee on the f street line was or
dered to get a pair of trousers of a
certain pattern, Having no cash to
spare he concluded to withdraw from
the Harries-Tayenner Beneficial AssO-
citation. The trousers would cost six
dollars the + street employee calcu-
lated that his pro rata share of the
Beneficial funds woulu figure up that
sum. He applied to Tayenner's Benev-
olent Society and after some figuring
by the great fnancier of the organiza-
tion. the H street employee received
Just six cents as his pro rata share.
What the pro rata share will be next
week. at this ratio of reduction, the
"boys" are now working out in half
proportion. Tavenner isn't saying a
word but attending strictly every
evening to the cars at Cabin Johns
Bridge, and incidentally noticing the
share of passengers to the said regis
ters. There is safety in predicting
that any man showing the genius of
Mr.. Tavenner in organizing that Be-
nevolent Society, and arranging for
pro rata shares to disgruntled mem
bers, is ultimately bound to give up
! his present $50 per month occupation,
and develop into a magnate himself,
with a bank account as big as V. P.
Harries, or any of the other bloated
holders of street car stock.
And speaking of street cars, re-
minds The Globe to make a note Of
the fact that the heavy vestibuled
cars are being sent away, and the
trailers substituted. General Har-
ries, it is understood, is getting even
with the residents of Connecticut ave-
nue. for 'kicking' on these cars, and
being instrumental in getting up a bill
| prohibiting the use of any traction car
over nine tons. The present vestibule
| car runs from fifteen to eighteen tons,
and mOtormen, conductors, and the
| general public outside of the resi-
dents of Connecticut avenue, prefer
these heavy cars. The vestibule pro-
tects the company's employees from
wind and rain and the average passen-
| geer enjoys the ride much better than
! on the lighter trailer.
There isn't one chance in hundred
that Congress will pass any bill linn
iting the weight of car to nine tons,
nor is V. P. Harries afraid of such a
contingency, but he is shrewdly get.
ting even with the "kickers," and the
| comfort Of his employees doesn't
| concern him.
When the Pressmen's Union met
here recently a committee appoint
ed to wait on General Harries, with a
| request that Union motormen and con
| ductors should have charge of the cars
| in which they we're to ride to the ban
quet at the Rock Springs Club Gen
| eral Harries happened to be out of the
city, and the committee was steered
| against General Manager Fuller. AT
ter explaining the object of their Wis
| it. Manager Fuller sarcastically in
| quired in his most freezing tones, do
you stop a car and inquire of the con
ductor and motorman if they are mem
bers of a union before you ride on it?
| The committees spokesman observ'
| ed that they came to solicit cour'
| tesy as visitors to the Capitol City,
and if the Company were only in
clined to inhospitably offer sarcasm in
stead of acCede to their request, they
would so report to the Convention
The manager never thawed, but gave
| the pressmen his habitual frozen stare
| and, as a member of the delegation eX-
| pressed it:
81 never felt anything colder in my
life than the atmosphere surrounding
Manager Fuller"
The Fire Department is contemplate
ing organizing a bunco Benevolent In
| surance along the Ines of the street
railway partly defunct and dying or.
der of pro rata share" and bury the
dead" order There must be some.
body in the Fire Department getting
weary from running with the ma.
| chine" and who wants a nice soft snap
like Mr.. Tavenner enjoyed, Chief
| Dutton, eX-newspaper item chaser very
| modestly admonished the men that he
| didn't want to be president Of the
| contemplated Benevolent order. He
would sooner somebody else, for in
stance, his assistant chief, would be
placed at the head Of the thing. 1t
wouldn't look we'll for a man in his po.
sition, etc, ETC. Chief Dutton is
right. and If the new Beneficial order
| is like the TavennerHarries pro
rata share" Society, The Globe thinks
that hardly any member Of the Fire
Department would look we'll as the 1T
of such a society.
The trouble with beneficial orders
organized by public employees, or cor
poration employees, for that matter, IL
their transitory character There ne
/ cnssarllY cnn not be anvthing herman