The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-09-27
SHARP WATCH KEPT ON FARES
NOT 50 MUCH CHANCE FOR THE
CONDUCTOR NOWADAYS.
Street Railway Companies Employ Many
Inspectors and spoilers to Prevent
Stesling--D Dishonesty Ii Checked. but
Not Prevented-Tho Transfer Game.

Not Prevente0-The Transfer G2mes
How to prevent grating by conductors
is a problem that still confronts street
railroad companies just as 1t did the day
the first street car was run over the rails.
To prevent constant thieving by con-
ductors is phase OF the work Of the street
railroad companies about which little ls
heard, but which requires the employment
Of large force Of men and figures heavily
in the expense account.
Every street railroad company loses
something through the pilferings OF hs
conductors. The amount Of the annual
loss is a matter OF speculation. The COM
panies don't know it themselves. On
systems like the Brooklyn Rapid Transit
and the Interurban it is estimated away
up in the thousands. although within re-
cent years there has been diminution OF 1t.
This loss is never estimated In public
reports Of the companies. Only on pri-
vate balance sheets is any attempt ever
made to estimate it. This is because the
companies do not care to let their en-
ployees know how much dishonesty exists
among them. and they do not want the
general public to learn what opportunity
there Is for stealing fares.
Last week a street railroad company
near Boston caused the arrest Of number
OF conductors who had been working what
Is known as the transfer game. 1t was
stated that in two years the gang was sup
posed to have robbed the company OF about
100000. That gives general idea OF the
losses
The transfer game is not confined to New
England. Street railroad men say 1t is
tried on all the big systems and is one OF
the hardest frauds to get at.
For years past gangs have worked 1t
in Brooklyn. 1t is said that the loss to
the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company has
far exceeded that OF the New England
company.
The transfer game is worked generally
by at least three persons, one OF whom
is not an employee. The general extern
sion Of the transfer system in recent years
is responsible for the transfer game, for
it has furnished an easier and far more
profitable method OF robbing railroad COM
panies than the old system Of knocking
down fares.
When arrangements are made to work
the transfer game q conductor in the plot
gives a bunch OF transfers to the outside
man. The transfers are properly punched
Tho accomplice distributes them among
the conductors who are in the game on
the other lines. They are then turned in
by these conductors as fares.
The rule on nearly all roads hereabouts
is to ring up transfers the same as cash
fares. Hence from the money he has
received in cash fares conductor can
take out just as many nickels as he has
received transfers. He then divides his
profits with the others in the game.
In some cases it has been found that
conductors have made as much as s. a
day by this swindle. By working 1t Judi
ciously they have succeeded in avoiding
suspicion for long time.
That Ia the way the fraud was worked
in Brooklyn. In the case Of the New Eng
land company 1t was worked in a different
way.
On that system transfers we're sold to
conductors by the road and sold by the
conductors to passengers. Bogus transfers
were printed and these were purchased
by conductors for small sum compared
to that paid for the real ones. The con-
ductors pocketed the difference whenever
| they used a bogus transfer
Despite constant watching of inspector,
and spoilers the railroad companies have
failed to do away with the old game Of
! knocking down fares, although it is SAID
| that they have checked it to a very large
f. extent through the employment OF a Large
corps OF watchers. In Brooklyn the rail
road companies have rule that requirel
conductors to ring up 2 fare when The
the spotter sitting on rear seat to detect
stealing by the conductors more readily.
1t is In the rush hours that most OF thif
stealing is attempted and then it is hardes
10 discover The inspectors are supposed
to keep almost as close witch as th'
spotters, Two inspectors generally worl
in conjunction and compare readings o.
tho register, one inspector boarding ca
about half mile from the spot chosen b,
the other.
The first may have found twenty nine pas
sengers on the car and thirty -one faresreg
istered, showing that two persons have go
of Should the second inspector find tina
the register and the number Of passenger
on the car agree it would indicate tina
either the conductor had made a mistak,
or had pocketed two fares. 1t Is by com
pairing the figures taken down by the in
spectors that most OF the dishonesty i
traced.
The Brooklyn Rapid Transit Compan.
has a larger number OF inspectors ant
spoilers compared to its force Of conductor
than any other company. That is becaus
it is forced to employ good many con
ductors of the class known as "ioaters.
Just how many spoilers there are, Of course
the officers OF the company won't tell
The spoilers make up what the road call
it's secret service bureau,
Said an officer Of the Brooklyn Rapi'
Transit Company:
"In Brooklyn, as on all systems runnin
to summer resorts, great deal of watching
has to be done because in the summe
season it is necessary to hire extra men
Almost all these men belong to the elias
known as hoaters. They are often goo
railroad men, but they are the rovers Of tn
profession and when they get job it
never with any intention of holding 1t NOR
than a few months. Then they 60 some
: where else.
ut is impossible to put much trust !
, these men, although many Of them are jus
as honest a. old employees. Every CON
pany with much summer travel has to hir
some Of them and they take tho chance thl
they will rob the company when they can.
I'VE make a business of watching ther
I so closely now that this year wo have iot
, very little. 1t Is the toaters who do nearl
all the stealing nowadays. Just how muc
they steal Is a question.
/, Railroad employees to-day arc, on tf