The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-04-20
PROPOSED NEW DEVICE
 FOR COLLECTING FARES
ALL TROLLEY CONDUCTORS MAY BE PROVIDED WITH AUTO-
 MATIC REGISTER.

Coin Placed In Slot of Instrument Held
 in Conductors Hand and All He Has
 to Do is to Make Change-Propose
 System Accurate and Calculated to
 Do Away With the "spotters."
 A new method of collecting fares on the electric railways of the New York, New Haven and Hartford is said to be under consideration Instead of pla- cling the fare in the hand of the con- ductor, the passenger drops the nickel into slot of a neat and compact regis tering instrument held in the conduc- tors hand. As the coin is drawn in by a pair of quick acting jaws inside the easing a bell is rung and the fare is registered by figures arranged like those of bicycle cyclometer, The money is then dropped Into the conduc- tors hand and is transferred to his pocket to be used in making change.
 The object, of course, is to insure &C., curacy in the collection of fares, but the instrument is said to have advan- tages over the clock dial register, which will be appreciated by condus- tors.
 'The register which was examined by the New Haven officials, said street railway man the other day, fin more than one respect is a convenience to the conductor. It removes the necessi- ty of pulling register levers or cords, it prevents possibility of passengers ring ing up fares on dials instead of pulling the bell cord when they wish to stop the car. The conductor with the new register does not annoy passengers by knocking off their hats when reaching rof the register lever when the car is crowded. This register also relieves the conductor of considerable mental calculation in making change, and there is no possibility of dispute with passengers as to whether nickel or a quarter was rendered. { a"The register is light neat and com pact and is held In one hand. It is pre- sented to the passenger, who inserts nickel in the slot the register being opened by the conductors index finger. AS the coin is inserted 1t is seized au- tomatlcally by jaws Inside the casing and drawn into an open receptacle, holding five or six nickels, Pressure of a finger enables the conductor to empty the money into his left hand and transfer 1t to his pocket, to be used in making change.
 AS the coin enters it rings bell and is registered by figures, which run up to one hundred thousand and then re- peat like Q cyclometer. The instru- ment thus keeps exact record of the fares paid.
 "If the passenger has quarter 8 half dollar or bill, he hands the mon- ey to the conductor, who gives him the full amount In change. The passenger then inserts the nickel In the slot, It is easier to make even change than to subtract one or two fares, and this Is @ help to the conductor.
 ''The register works in any position, and a coin inserted when it is upside down iB taken as readily as when it is right side up. This is a valuable fea- ture, as the register is adapted for the various angles of presentation when the car is crowded.
 There Is one thing that conductors will like about the automatic register. It protects the employe against errors, and thus insures a square deal to all parties concerned. It thus does away with the employment of 'spotters,' whose business Is counting passengers and looking at the dial now used. It also will tend to encourage the use of aickels by the passengers. When 1t is understood that the register callsi for nickels, passengers will be more in- I. clined to look for the exact fare. Now they offer the first coin fished out of the pocket, a quarter or dime, al- though they may have the nickels.
 "The idea of the register is similar to that of the clock dial, the bell punch or the coffee pot employed in Canada. The automatic register is more accu- 2 rate than the dial and excels the coffee pot In that all the money taken In 6ares is available for change, as the in-
 hment keeps the record. The coffee
 also is cumbersome and heavy and
 money Is held in the receptacle un-
 the end of the day. This causes
 br in making change for passen-