The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-03-22

stores, etc.. is constitutional, law
protecting llcr against having to stand
without her consent oven II 1t forced
so. also.
The cass / have mentioned is No.
lo6, docketcd October term, Supreme
Court Of the United states, cprtmr TIM l.,
W. State of oregon. In. this state,
undor the police power given To steam
railway conductors and street car con
ductors, the best of them lave as
suncd the right, in tho rarc cases
when necessary, to require q man to
give a woman u scat, and 1t IL e%.
trnmcly doubtful if any court could
bn found to criticize or punish either
for 80 doing. even if lie was compelled
to use A reasonable amount of force.
principles, was settled and fixed dur
ing tho ages of chivalry. AID a prop
or construction of its doctrines in their
to modern conditions would
unGuestionably protect any conductor,
having powers of a peace officer and
general powers as to properly scating,
and caring for his passengers. in re-
During that women should be seated
ovch at the expense of compelling some
OF Inc men to stand.
Tho great trouble. however, In the
Whole matter issthat tho rnp-hangers
pay the dividends. and therefore tho
people OF Ine country arc often paCK-
ed like cattle. sometimes even With
out the benefit OF the straps. Tho
usual rate Of fare is practically &
cents, which, in view OF the fact that
the average distance travelled by the
street car nnssengers varies from hale
n milo to mile, makes the fare an
average Of or cents at least per
mile.
II we take into consideration tho
fact that tic steam railroads liare to
nav for Tho land a vi Db
of way. for doing their own grading,
building their own culverts where they
cross streams, etc. and that tho street
car lines are given all this vast and
valuable. property under the specinus
name OF franchises. II seems little
strange that the American people in
sist upon u 2-ccnt fare in ono case
1"nefc they are almost uniformly fur
nlEl"d seats, and in the other are
wiling TO pay or Z cents per mile
for the privilege of standing and hold
ing on to strap knowing as they
do that they have also paid enormous
taNes IN buying the land, grading the
streets, building culverts, etc, for the
street railway companies use.
rms city has prohably as good it
not better street car service than most
OF the cities of the country, especially
since the opening of tho traction lines
and the management is entitled to
credit for many improvements, but IT
IS fact we'll known to every one
III the community that for years and
years cars are packed with women
who have TO stand and hold on to tho
straps, and sometimes without even
the privilege Of holding on to strap
packed like sardines on the platforms
even when no man has seat on the
car. a steam railroad would be severe,
~ punished by the societies for the
prevention Of cruelty to animals for
packing cattle as the womenlSind are
every day packed on the. street car
lines.
OF course there are situations rre-
.ated by holidays. special celebrations
etc, under which there must be
orowding on the cars, and it is inn
possible to prevent II, but where day
after day. at the same hour. the trans
portalon COMPANY utterly fails TO
public, It should be made so to do.
ever though IT alleges and proves that
its service is better than in many or
even the majority of the cities of this
country, WILLIS b. SMITH.
Richmond Va" February 81, 1905.