Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1905-03-27

"Ho 'hc NNdllWdy age
oai'eu attehlioh TO the evident injus.
tce OF charging MS much for transports.
ing q passenger weighing 100 pounds
as TOT ong tipping the scales at 800
pound OF more, The wrong was
shown 10 be still more evident where
Two persons of moderate dimensions
occupy one seat, and yet are charged
twice the sum asked from the 300.
FOUNDER for the sole occupancy OF n
precisely similar seat. To put an end
10 this shameful discrimination in ia
vor OF the great and powerful against
the physically small which ever the
Interstate Commerce commission ap.
pears powerIess TO prevent, that jour
nal suggested That the railways should
be compel 4 10 carry passengers.
like Other trs ish by weight.
The propagation was largely discuss
ed by the press, particularly that Of
Great Britain which was inclined to
question its pr cticability; but has
never received practical support. 1t is
encouraging, however, to learn from
travellers that a somewhat similar
principle has been adopted in free and
independent Switzerland. For there,
it is said, fares are based, in the case
of children on the passengers height.
Children under three feet--height, not
gauge-may travel free, and those
measuring three feet and four and a
half feet are charged half fare, while
youths or adults whose perpendicular
measurement is oyer the latter fig
IRE must pay full rate.
The advantage Of this plan in pre-
venting the unseemly strife betwe
parent and conductor, now so FIRE
quent, owe the age Of an innocent
child, is evident. The intent Is COM
mendable, and yet it is to be feared
that the height-measuring machine
sometimes does cruel injustice, as il
the case of an abnormally longlimbed
infant. on the one hand, and of 4 m
ture hut sawed-off passenger, on the
other. How shocking TO the finer feel
ing Of a parent it must be to have her
tall and p%recocious son charged full
fare. when her neighbor's short-legged
monstrosity of the same age rides for
half rate, or possibly free. In con
trast to such a parody on justice the
weight principle Of rate making shines
effulgent. 1t is the only just a'
equitable basis for passenger charges
for given distances.
If inert merchandise and the beasts
Of the stall are taxed for transport
ton in proportion to their tonnage
much more justly should the big
man be required to pay greater fare
than the slender lightweight woman
or youth. Therefore, let the weight
charging principle again enter
arena of thoughtful discussion.
Div. Supt. r. J.. Easley went UP to
Trinidad on No. . last night.
Three ballast trains run OUT of Las
Vegas daily except Sundays.
!. 3. Floyd, the night Waterman il
the local yards, is on the sick list.
Engineer C. Martin has returned to
work, after having been off duty for
awhile.
Engineer Louick, of the La Junta
hospital. visited his family and friends
at Ration.
Otto Fell. clerk at the round house.
wasn't on duty yesterday on account
of illness.
Conductor II. c. Kipp of Ration has
resumed his run after an enforced lay.
off of two weeks.
Fireman Moore of the 755 Is UP
from Lamy on account Of the serious
illness Of his wife.
Sixteen native laborers left here
yesterday for Rowe where they will
be added to the grading force.
Fireman Bryan has been assigned to
the second mountain run at Lamy, re
Gently vacated Ivy Fireman A. reeler
They have been coming too swift
for Engineer Uhr;s Of the ssS and h
is resting and recuperating for a few
trips.
~
Engineer McQuiddy Is enjoying
brief respite from duty while his en-
CINE. the s25, is undergoing a few re
pairs.
49,
John McNeal, an old passenger en-
gineer from Topeka, is now road fo'