The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1909-08-24
STRAY TOPICS FROM LITTLE.
OLD NEW YORK

the Stubbornness OF the Brooklyn &
Coney Island Street Railway company
which, sustained by the courts, in
sists upon charging a 10-cent fare
from Brooklyn to Coney Island or
from Coney Island to Brooklyn. For
several years the company had only
charged a scent fare during the
week, raising the fare to 10 cents
every Sunday. Enormous crowds
were transported to and from Coney
Island then and the company simply
coined money. But. with the greed
characteristic of such corporations,
the company decided to charge a uni
only on Sundays but also on week
days. The result of that nearsighted
policy soon became apparent in the
marked falling OF in the number of
passengers. While formerly the cars
used to be crowded. they are scarcely
half filled now, especially on week
days. On Sundays the difference is
not so strongly marked.
The argument used by the COM
pany was that 1t could not afford to
transport large numbers of passen-
gers at 5 cents a head between
Brooklyn and Coney Island, because
it cost a great deal more to trans
port large crowds than just a few
passengers. Of course, every person
of ordinary common sense under
stands that this argument is absurd
Just as senseless as the attitude
of the merchant who refused to lay
in a stock of certain article which
would sell so quickly that new sup
plies would have to be ordered every
few days, which was very annoying
and troublesome. For some reason
or other the court before which the
matter was argued, composed of the
members of the public service COM
mission, accepted the argument of
the company and declined to inter-
fere in behalf of the public.
In the meantime Coney Island is
rapidly going to its doom. Thou
sands of persons, who had made
their homes in Coney Island, moved
away because they could not or would
not pay the exorbitant fare. Hun
dreds of houses and apartments are
vacant, business Is declining through
out Coney Island and before long the
once thriving colony surrounding the
famous amusement places of the is
land will be scattered to the winds
and Coney Island will become a de-
serted village, ruined by the insane
greed of the street railway company
and the lack of judgment of the pub
lie service commission.
The prevalence of grating in all
branches of the municipal machine
Is a matter of such general know
ledge that the recent charges of
grating in connection with the band
concerts in the public parks does not
cause much surprise. 1t Is charged
that in several instances dummy play
ers are added to the band, for the
sole purpose of swelling the payroll.
These dummies. it is charged, mere
ly pose as musicians. but never pro-
duce tone. knowing absolutely
nothing about music in general or the
instruments entrusted to them in
missioners say such a practice is i'm
possible, but there is enough reliable
ana competent testimony to the con-
trary to indicate that there is more
truth than poetry, or rather music.
in the accusation
According to the statement of a
professional burglar who was caught
in the act the other day, burglary
does not pay and even an industrious
and painstaking burglar can scarce
ly make his expenses" The man
who made this statement is one of
the society-burglars, a regular RAJ
fles," who goes on his expeditions
CARRIED in dress suit ana silk hat He
explained that it cost a great deal
to dress properly and to mingle with
the class of people among whom
Rallies selects his victims. Some
of these society burglars even use
automobiles in their professional Wis
it's. The statements of the swell
crook may be correct, but there are
evidently great many men in the
burglar profession who are still labor
ing under the delusion that they can
make their business pay.
Members of secret societies will
undoubtedly hugely enjoy the humor
of the situation in which a certain
man in this city found himself the