El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-05-10
TW0 BILLION
NIGKLE5 FOB
CAR Rides
New Workers Yearly Turn
in That Number For
Street Car Fares.
MAYOR GAYNOR SAYS
TAX THE HYPOCRITES

Ew YORK, May 1O.-Almost two
nj billion nickels a year, enough,
- laid edge to edge, to reach 200
times around the earth. are required
to move the people of New York City
and the strangers within its gates to
and from offices, shops and homes
This is one of numerous striking
facts brought out by the reports
which all the local transportation
companies are compelled to make 10
the Public Service commission and
which have just been completed for
1912. As the figures are based on
fares actually collected. it follows that
the total number of persons carried IS
considerably in excess Of the- Two Dill
lion mark. as young children employees
of the companies and certain classes
of officials are carried free and IN
spite OF s-yOu-enter and OtneI
devices, great many nlckels are Sald
stiu to find their way into the pockets
Of dishonest conductors and do not
figure in the report.
Taking the figures as they stand,
they show that every man. woman
and child is Greater New York takes
an average OF one car ride day
throughout the year The total reVe-
nue. of the various lines IS close 10
500, 600, 600 and judged by the number
greatest transpOrta ton system in the
country. Another Interesting fact IS
that greater variety IN the means
of transportation is offered mere Inan
in any other place in the world in
addition TO the subway. elevated and
electric surface lines there are antedl-
luvian horse cars such as are scarcely
to be seen in any other city IN the
country. storage battery cars and
mOnOrail system To these IS shortly
to be added an underground moving
sidewalk.
Cost OF Living Question Again
VIII or will not the new tariff
which congress is soon to adopt re-
ducc the cost OF living is the question
which is being hOUy debated IN clubs,
hotel Hobbies, over cafe tables aud
werever men COngregate in numbers
Interest is particularly keen in the ef-
feet on sugar and wool since these
are the two commodities to which free
trade is proposed TO be applied The
big re1lnerS or sugar who are ugnI-
ing 70 have the duty on raw sugar
removed in order to get their raw sup
plies more cheaply declare that sugar
viii go down a cent and half
pound. The domestic producers on The
other hand insist that the price VIII
90 Up because the few big refines
viii be in FUN control Of the situa-
ton
Men in the trade occupy what may
be described as an intermediate posi-
ton They are inclined to think that
prices may be put down temporarily
in order to drive out the domestic
competition which they say has been
cutting more and more into the re
timers control OF the market but
later they expect to see prices ad-
vance again when the refiners have
matters in their own hands. Like
wise importers of other products on
which duties are TO be reduced are
willing to predict lower prices but the
Win these nwn6uCrG to the
consumer are more reluctant to hOld
out any such hope As sugar IS the
crux of the tariff fight in congress,
that doubtless viii be one of the COM
modities by which TO judge results.
Causes Worry to RObber.
That the Arabian Nights style OF
adventure may still be enjoyed in the
modern Bagdad of America is proved
by the experience of a wealthy young
BroadWayite in inflicting a unique
form of punishment upon a man who
robbed him. The BrOadwayite. whose
name is well known throughout the
bright light district. while In Socla-
Bile mood got into conversation with
a seedy but affable stranger, and at
the end of their visit discovered that
his pOcketbOOk had departed with the
stranger.
Instead Of appealing to the law he
employed two husky and heavy handed I
soldiers of fortune of the modern
style and had them accompany him on
his evening rounds until he spotted
his QuOndam acquaintance. He then
instructed them to follow the latters
trail steadily. Whenever he went into
a restaurant to eat or sat down in
any public place even for moment
to rest, the two were to rush at MIN,
but always giving him a chance to
escape.
The plan worked perfectly and for
two months the unfortunate thleI
scarcely had a chance to obtain a meal z
or to snatch moments rest One OF
other of the men was always close [
behind him. Whenever he thought
that he had eluded them and slipped /
into an out of the way eating place I
they would wait until he had had a
thick steak with trimmings before
him; then they would dash in and the
culprit would take TO his heels
After two months OF this constant [
pursuit and the expenditure of about I
$1,000 in keeping his victims steadily
on the run, the wise BroadWay1te De
and he permitted the object Of his
highly original punishment to end Z
the chase by leaving the city
Would Tax HypOerites.
With civic expenditures mounting
constantly higher and higher, New
York is always searching for new
means of raising revenue Recently
"A committee was appointed bearing I
the impressive title OF the Commits
sion on New Sources Of City Revenue, I
the purpose OF WAtcn Is 10 AluAl -
new WAYS of raising taxes to meet [
the steadily growing demands Of gov !
eminent
As a result OF reading the commits /
siOn's report reciting the various ]
loOphOles in existing laws through 1
which individuals so inclined are now I
enabled TO escape contributing to the /
city's revenues. mayor Gaynor was I
moved to suggest a tax on hypocrltes /
as one that would be highly remuner- !
atiVe il rigldly enforced
While the mayors remarks were |
facetious the subject to which they I
related is serious one as the present /
rate of growth in New Horks eX-
Denditures points to the likelihood /
that a yearly budget of $20O.O00.00O /
will soon be required which viii neces-
state the imposition Of new and stlll /
heavier taxes.