The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1907-02-28
Speaks for the Travelling Public.
correspondence News and Observer.

Correspondence News and Observer.
To the Editor: ] have been follow
ing attentively the published reports
OF that legislative committee which
ID considering the reduction of rail-
way passenger rates. The railways
have been heard, the position of the
committee may be surmised ,and now
may |, as one of that third party at
interest, the travelling public, pre-
sume IL brief word. And lest l be
thought butting in presumptiously,
will say that in the past two years |
have Travelled i'm North Carolina
about ten thousand miles, tearing
out seven mileage books in one year.
! And this takes no note OF the fares
paid on Pullman cars, on which | in
variably ride when they are available,
not from any spirit OF snObbisness,
! but for safety, cleanliness and good
order And | will add further that
/ this distance has not been travelled
on IL pass, nor at the expense OF some
other person, but has been paid in
cash out of my own pocket.
Judging from observation alone !
estimate that IS per cent. of the cash
collected i'll this State for passenger
service is paid by the business mel
travelling on business; men who are
going somewhere, who want to get
there quickly and who expect to ac-
co:mplIsh something when they do
get there. And OF this large major
! ity | believe | speak for 80 per cent.
when | say that our complaint is not
oi excessive rates but of inferior ser
Vice. We want good service and we
are willing to pay for it. l would
.um up the demands OF the travelling
/ business men us follows:
! 1DNhen IL business man starts on
/ Il Journey he would like to feel rea-
SOnabIy assured that he would reach
! his destination alive. The daily news
| OF wrecks through the carelessness OF
employees does not add to the com
lort OF IA railway Journey. We should
not feel constrained to pay accident
insurance i'll the way OF Pullman
farcs. Passengers in Pullman cars
are rarely injured. The ordinary day
ear can be made, and should be made,
as safe as the Pullman.
% The passenger who rides in the
/ day car is entitled to clean surround
lnSs. But frequently the coverings
of the seats and the floor at his feet
are foul and offensive to sight and
smell. A man with clean instincts
viii hesitate to rest his head on these
OdOrOuS plush seats and will frequent
ly turn in disgust from the filth or
the floors. | have been driven from
cars more than once by the fumes
and stencil arising from boiling filth
on the heating pipes. Soap, water
and formaldehyde gas should be used
at frequent intervals. The passen
gers should not be assessed an extra
fare for the privilege of riding in a
clean car.
OBJ 1t is common thing to see
disOrderly drinking and to hear dis
Orderl y talk in certain passenger
cars, and sometimes to be offended
by the grOssest disorder on the part
of men who have drunk excessively
There should be a uniformed police
man on every train to maintain
order. The passenger should not
feel it necessary to pay extra for the
privilege of riding in orderly com
pany. The day cars may be, and
should be. as orderly as the Pullman
ears
a. Mileage books should be inter
changeable.
| (5) And last, but by no means
least we would like to feel when start
ing on a journey that we would be
delivered at our destination on some
near approach to schedule time.
| If the railroads in North Carolina
will satisfy our complaints in these
several respects we will not complain
at existing charges. We want gooC
service, safe, comfortable, prompt
and we are willing to pay for it. The
Hebrews in old Egypt could not
make brick without straw, and insis
tence brought trouble to the Egyp
tian taskmasters. We are calling
upon the railroads to deliver brick
and ever more brick. Let us not
withhold straw. The News and Oh
server is on the wrong track in this
matter If you demand good service
You will have the whole business pub
lie behind YOU; but when you lead a
fight which will make it impossible
for the railroads to give US better
service you will be condemned by
your best friends.
Ask the man who is vigorously
knocking the railroads at this tim,
how much he spends in a year OF
transportation, how many miles ha
he Travelled in the last two years
And on the other hand permit m
who have actually Travelled ten thous
70 and miles in North Carolina in tw,
Years to say that ! hold little busi
ness relations with railroads; while
surveyor man | do business chief
with cities and towns, so that | fee
it is not presumptious in me t.
speak for the ordinary travelin
man, and to repeat that we CON
;. tplain not at high rates, but at poo
= service. Give us inferior service an
: we would kick even if it should b
| free: give us good service and we wi
/ cheerfully pay for it.
JOHN W. HAYS.