Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-08-15
DINING GAR BOOSTS
WEBSTER CITY MAN DECLARES
WAR ON RAILROAD EATING
HOUSES.
MERE LUNCH NOW COSTS
FROM 81 TO $3.50
Passengers on Fast Trains Compelled
to Pay Advanced Prices or Go
Aunsry-E. II. Martin Takes UP
Question With Senators cummins
and Kenyon and Awaits Suggestions.
Special TO rtmes-Republican.


Webster City, Aug. l5.-The var N
Europe has so overshadowed every
thing else that little attention is being
paid TO events that otherwise would at
tract considerable publicity in this
country. The railroads all over the
United States have Just recently be-
gun making an extra charge on their
dining cars OF 10 cents for bread and
butter, and are apparently getting
away with it. without much protest
from the public
E. H. Martin. of this city. president.
Of the Martin Telephone Company, ard
a well known capitalist, however. has
decided that Europe has 10 monopoly
on the matter OF war ard SO he las
6onned his war paint and started i'll
hot pursuit Of the railroads goat. He
has protested 10 Senators Cummins and
Kenyon, not only agains: this extra 10
cent charge, but other oYsrcharges on
diners generally, as we'll as the double
prices charged the travelling public
at all railway eating houses
Go Hungry or Pay.
Mr. Martin was coming out of Chi
cago the other day and Went into the
diner for dinner. He protested against
the 10 cent charge for bread and batter.
but TO no purpose. Now. Mr.. Martin is
not the sort OF a man who cares a great
deal about the 10 cents, but the prin
ciple of this small graft grated harshly
and as soon as he reached home he
sat down and dictated the following
letter to Senator's Cummins and Ken
yon:
My dear senator: I attach hereto
menu taken from an Illinois Central
dining car last night and wish to call
your attention TO the notation at the
top in red letters: a charge OF 10 eenta
will be made for each service OF bread
and butter This is an additional bur-
den thrown on the public above the
already so per cent overcharses you
Will notice all the way down the card.
BY being very careful, you can GO. a
lunch for from 81 to $3.50, but Their
only If you sneak away from the
waiter. l think this branch Of the
railroad service needs investigation
much more than the Pullman service.
These fast trains do not stop for lunch
anywhere. so It is a case Of go hungry
OF pay those prices.
"T take it from what the dining car
conductor told me, that all lines have
combined to put on this extra charge
Another thing that should have at
tention along the same lines is the uni
versal rule to charge the travelling pub
lie double prices at all railway eating
houses.
"If you will advise me what course 20
r x,-,n al.
rolling toward reaching these abuses.
Very truly. "E. H MARTIN
Will Push Fight.
Mr.. Martin is at loss TO know just
what method of procedure to take AS
soon, however, as either Senator Cum
Minis or Senator Kenyon advise him as
go ahead. He feels that the travelling
public is being held up on dining cars
and at railroad eating houses
at may be all right" says Mr. Mar
| tin, "to charge little more on a din
| ing car than one would pay in res
| taurant. but the prices already being
! charged in these wheeled palaces of
graft are altogether too high. When
! they added the 10 cent charge for bread
| and butter, they merely put their long
! fingered uitts into the pocket of the
public and exacted further tribute for
the privilege Of paying two prices for
something to eat. I don't know what
we can do about it unless we quit eat
ing, but II there is any way to get re-
lief, am willing to go the limit It's
high time the public revolted against
this sort of hold up-for that Is all 1t Is.
Fast trains compel you to eat on the
diner II you are going very far and
think there ought to be some way to
get relief other than by refusing TO pa
tronize this wheeled restaurant graft
Anyway, I'm going the limit to find
out"