Evening star., 1913-11-20
4STRAP HANGERS"
MAY GET RELIEF
Senator Norris, Himself One,
Introduces Resolution
for Half Fare.
''PAY ONLY FOR ACTUAL
SERVICE" is HIS SLOGAN
Figures Companies Would Be More
Careful to Provide Seats I'm
der Proposed Law.

me strap hangers" day has dawned
at last Senator Norris of Nebraska, who
says that he himself has been a strap
hanger in Washington street cars for a
long. long time today introduced a bill
In the Senate which will permit all those
persons who are compelled to stand while
riding in street cars in the District to
ride for half fare. He figures that the
street car companies will be more care
full to provide seats for their patrons if
this bill is enacted into law.
Senator Norris bill provides:
That from and after thirty days after
the passage of this act 1T shall be the
duty of every corporation operating a
street railway for the carrying of pas
senSers in street cars within the District
of Columbia to provide a suitable and
comfortable seat for each and every per-
son from whom it collects a fare for
travel upon any of its said cars within
the said District. Whenever conductor
collects a fare from a passenger riding
in any of its said cars and is not able to
provide such passenger at said time with
seat within said car the said con-
ductor or other employe of said corpora
ton shall give to such passenger re-
bate check, the form and style of which
shall have been approved by the Commits
sioners of the District of Columbia.
Two Checks Good for Fare.
Two of such rebate checks shall at
any time within six months after the
date of the issuing of the same be ac-
cepted by said corporation or any of its
employees operating any of it's said cars
within the District Of Columbia as
equivalent in all respects to one regular
ticket or one cash fare, and any person
presenting two of said rebate checks
within said time shall be entitled to
all OF the privileges Of a passenger on
any of said cars, including transfer
privileges. the same and to the same
extent as though such passenger had
presented a regular ticket or paid a
regular cash fare.
ANY corporation operating street
railway for the carrying of passengers
In street cars within the District of
Columbia violating any Of the provisions
Of this act shall be deemed guilty of a
misdemeanor, and upon conviction there
of shall be fined for each offense the
sum of 500, and shall, in addition
thereto. pay the costs of prosecution
1t shall be the duty of the Commis-
sioners of the District of Columbia to
prosecute to final judgment all cases
arising under this act
Pay for Service Only.
Senator Norris, who recently nut
through the Senate resolution direct
ing the public utilities commission to
investigate the Chesapeake and Poto-
mac Telephone Company. doing busi-
ness In the District, said of the street
car bill today:
'The bill which l have introduced reg
ulating street car fares in the District
of Columbia is only legal recOgni-
ton of common principle of justice.
Street car companies should be allowed
they perform. 1t is we'll understood
that a street car company makes three
times as large profit upon the man
who sta ands up in the aisle as it does
upon the woman who is occupying a
seat. If it is right to charge a pas
senger who occupies seat 5 cents.
then 1t is no injustice to the street car
company to require it to carry a pas
senger who has to stand up for half
that amount 1t is not intended as a
penalty SO much as it Is to base the
actual charge upon the service per-
formed.
Everybody in Washington must rec
ognize the fact that during the morn
ing hours and also during certain hours
in the afternoon and evening, practi-
cal1y all the cars in the city are
crowded to the very limit. Cars with
a seating capacity of from thirty to
thirty four carry at one time from
nifty to eighty passengers There is no
doubt but what the enactment of this
law would cause the companies to put
a great many more street cars in serv-
| ice during the crowded portions of the
day. On some of the lines where the
traffic is heaviest the number Of cars
could be doubled without any diff
Guilty.
But even If it be conceded that it is
not practical to operate additional cars,
there is no valid objection to require
the company to make a less charge for
| a strap-hanger than for a seated pas
senger 1t is question entirely of
service. II the company does not per-
form the service 1t ought not be al
lowed TO collect the pay"