The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1907-01-25
"A JuIcY. YELLow LEMoNn
Is Being Handed TO Barre Workingmen,
Says ?. T. Mccarthy.

Sr9@ = = - N1S&0At1Js
Editor Times; Those who are inter
ested in the welfare of the city are
lpleased to note in Yesterdays issue that
the Central Vermont r. r. officials have
promised better service for the granite
industry Of Barre, ] understand that
the conference between the labor union
officials and the management Of the
Barre and Montpelier street railway sys-
tenn has not heen 80 satisfactory, To tbe
working people at least The agitation
for wnrkineinen's tickets should be push
ed With undininished Yigor on the part
of the workingmen, merchants and en-
pl0yers, until the reduced fare Is re-
stored, 1t ii a we'll established fact that
living expenses in Barre are as high as
lin any city in New England, and the in
creased transportation charges for our
wofkingmen are an imposition that
should be strongly resented.
1t appears that the reason for the
withdrawal of the so-caIled working
mems tickets is the assumption on tile
part Of the company that by issuing
these tickets they would Be violating d
9tA1hNN Ifiathhu ~ VIZ itcI ifEiStdbuIF-
.by discriminating against part Of the
public in compelling part Of the pas
scngers to pay 4 fiye.eent fare from the
Jones Brothers shed to the south end
.of the iine and allowing workmen to
ride for two end one half cents. / wish
To emphatically state that there is no
discrimination whatever fl has been
stated BY several Of our leading attor-
neys that the so-called railroad law isl
unconstitutional This difference Of
opinion has no bearing on the case. III
is we'll established fact that the public
has always had the opportunity Of pur-
chasing tickets Gin books at d reduced
rate good for certain cars to be run
at stated hours. Az there mas been no
discrimination against who should pur-
chase thu books, where il the law being
violated?
10 illustrate how the law works on
other roads III the state, wish to give
nm example Of discrimination that is up-
held by our Vermont statutes. I pur-
chase five-hundred mile book from
the Central Vermont railroad for ten
dollars. n going to Montpelier the con
duetor pulls six miles, costing me twelve
cents, while fellow passenger buys a
local ticket for ten cents to go to the
same station. BY having mileage
book costing me two cents per mile,
1 can travel over any part Of the sys-
tenn at that rate, while my fellow pas
sengcrs, who purchase local tickets, are
charged here in Vermont from two and
one.half cents per mile to five cents per
mile by the same corporation, for riding
in the same ears and going the same
distance Did tile last legislature declare
the sale of mileage books Illegal or dis
It looks as though the street railway
were using very himsy excuse
TO dispense with the sale Of working
mems tickets when they are sheltering
themselves behind fictitious shadow IN
the law. II means that they do not
want to carry va for less than d fye-cent
fare, and they will not 10 so as long
as the people will stand ion the iinposi.
ton. Previous Ia the construction Of
the trolley road, the steam road system
carried passengers to Montpelier from
Barre in twenty minutes, for five cents
The trolley system bioomed into life
and taking advantage of more or less
flaws III It's franchise raised the fare to
ten cents and uses up fortx-five minutes
time minimum and fortv7eieht hours
maximum IN making a six-mile run.
4 workiHgman living IN one end Of
our city ana working in tie other end,
II he wishes TO eat a warm dinner, must
pay twenty cents per day from his hard
earned wages for the privilege. Assum
ing three hundred davs at twenty cents
per day. he contributes $4,000 per year
for the support of the road; in other
words, he pays the interest on one thou
sand dollars for the splendid service
he secures by patronizing the trolley
system. N the present instance the
ana manufacturers have
been handed nice juicy, yellow lemon
by the street car system, and are swat
lowing il to the entire satisfaction Of
is management.
p. F. Mccarthy.
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