New-York tribune., 1908-05-06
TRANSFER JUGGLING.

When the traction company receivers with
drev transfer privileges at several important
street functions short time ago, many persons
more than suspected that, however necessary
n thorough reform in the transfer system might
have been, this particular innovation was JUS
tilted quite as little by the facts as II was
by the wishes OF the travelling puphc. lhe in,-
preston prevailed that the heavy losses "nicn
the receivers attributed to their old transfer
methods could best be avoided not by apandoh-
ing the system outright and so making chahso
of cars impossible without payment OF Sec
ond fare, but rather by purging the transfer sSs-
fem of several notorious evils The time non
ored manner of disbursing and collecting trans
fars In New York CITY enabled every facetious
angry or dishonest person to break his Journey
without fear of a second fare, or to present ms
transfer slip to any chosen or fortl1tous reclp-
lent by whom it might be used. IL the receivers
have not yet fully realized the grand scale on
which transfer slips can be made 70 90 oo"pie
or even treble duty, they may welcome the
estimates lust made public by the Phliadelpha
Rapid Transit Company. That corporation mas
lust been forced TO revise It's transfer pohcy III
order TO protect the stockholders against 'he
animal loss of about 4.25O,OOO fares. That the
company has been swindled 10 THIS alia""5
extent has been established by special inves-
Mayor Reyburn In "rhe Philadelphia fress'
thus depicts some typical discoveries Hlhoe oF
the inqurers:
The current year will show that about 3d.
000 0OO riders on the lines Of the RAPID TRANSIT
Company have used free transfers Inc pt opera
ing department reports that ol M ttin ~ frae
about 1850 900 get their transportation on ires
transfers given to them by friends. purchased
from the neWSboys on the corner. or receNeu aS
a bonus from cigar dealers or saloons 1or pau pau M
IiC 1NS .l1
each wear Detectives of the Rapid Trailsit
Company have found boys on the streets W., ~
anywhere from 125 to $50 free transfers IN tiisll
posseSSion which they were selling 10 auuI.S ~.
one two or three cents-whateVer the! coulu g.
for them. At the more lmportant pantads and
points saloons. cigar stands, neWss'anas am, anu
other places of business were discovered "hele
free transfers were given out 10 eacn cus'onie'
who wanted a ride the Strtetcar lihe IN
dIIctors we're discovered handing out free trans
fers to their associates in boarding houses Ih@
only way out of the difficulty was 10 man II
impOsSbe TO have these abuses coHliiilitco
Proud as we are of New York We doubt II
our fellow citizens more sanity than the
children of Penn when it comes to speculatlns
I'm transfer slips and it light be deemed mean
snirted TO concede that this city has less thau
twice as many active transfer InanlpulalorS
as Philadelphia can boast. II the comparison II
q fair one sum looking very much Ike haiI
million dollars IS probably being diverted every
wear from traction company stockhoiuels w
petty transfer jugglers. This serious leak might
be checked by reducing the time limit on Tue
slips and holding conductors more closely |"
account nv q better checking system. Even II
half tho money thus saved were to be spent in
stopping fraudulent losses, the plan WOULD III
all probability prove more profitable thah any
which abolished transfers altogether.
Even admitting that the net cash gain might
be slight in proportion to the cost OF reaplns
it, the companies are under certain moral
obligation TO oppose the widespread olsiolieS'!
of transfer Juggling in a manner least obnoxious
tn the great body of honest passengers 1he
old transfer system leads the frail into tenp'a-
tion; no transfers whatever between lndepen-
dent lines cause great inconvenience Ihe moran
is TO spend little money in operating Il sFs-
TEN which will benefit public and stockholders
alike In these days OF highly perfected pust
ness methods it seems rather absurd to say that
q solution satisfactory to all concerned cannot
he fOuDu.