Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-01-02
ERIE COMMUTERS
ANGRY OVER NEW
TICKET METHOD
Railway Fixes Up Contract
to Bind Passengers to Speci-
fled Points.


Erie railroad commuters today
learned for the first time that the
railroad company had inserted
a new clause in its so-called con-
tract under which a Communication
ticket is purchased. The new clause is
intended to restrict the commuter to
trips between stations specified on
sthe face Of tie tisleSt
TO add to the confusion over the
new proposition, the ticket office at
Paterson sold out of monthly Newark
tickets. AS a result many Paterson
Newark commuters were obliged to
pay fifty cents for a return ticket,
pending the arrival of additional com
mutation tickets tomorrow. Other
commuters refused fatty to submit
to what they considered swindle,
and said unlzind things about the Erie
and other big corporations.
While confusion was at its height
in one end of the Paterson station a,
crowd of commuters gathered on the
platform discussing a way to get
back at the railroad. AS the Erie
railroad is the only direct railroad
between Paterson and Newark the
proposition seemed difficult until
someone suggested that the Public
Service Corporation be requested to
run an express trolley car from Mar
'ket and Main streets, Paterson, to
Broad and Market streets. Newark.
The proposition took with number
of the more indignant commuters. A
temporary organization was formed
for the purpose of looking into the
matter.
Viewed as Imposition.
All of the commuters were unani
nous in the belief that the Erie Rail-
road Company was demanding too
much in attempting to force new re-
strictions on it's patrons.
The apparently innocent clause on
the back of the tickets read
1T the ticket is good only between
the stations named on the face, and
is not good from to or between inter-
mediate stations. except where spe-
officially provided for in the tariff un-
der the head of optional arrange
ments."
This clause promises to bring to a
head the passenger Communication rate
fight in New Jersey. 1t is charged
in some quarters that the Erie Rail-
road is protecting itself from an order
made by the New Jersey Supreme
Court and approved by the Court of
Errors and Appeals, which places the
Erie and Lackawanna railroads III the
class of "Intrastate Roads. 1t is
said the Erie is desirous of placing
itself under the control of the Inter-
.1s.e~s
much as that body has approved the
passenger rates. At present the Lack
awanna and Erie roads are under the
control of the Board of Public Utility
Commissioners.
Communication tickets on the Erie
entitle the holder to sixty rides be-
tween stations named on the face of
the ticket. The average commuter
has from eight to ten rides left each
month, unless he uses them up in
short rides between intermediate sta
tions undel the new ruling he will
be obliged to pay his fare between
intermediate stations.
Paterson persons who commute to
Newark under the system in effect
until January | as a rule bought a
ticket between Paterson and New
York The reason was that the same
this method, could use the ticket to
go to New York on the main line, or
Newark line to New York, or via
Hackensack, on the Susquehanna,
which railroad is owned by the Erie.
Under the new ruling the Patterson
Newark commuter must use his
ticket only on the Newark branch.
Hope 20 Enforce Rule
While it was admitted at the Erie
Office that it would be impossible to
prevent commuter from using the
ticket from either of the stations
named on the face to an intermediate
station--that is q passenger could not
be compelled to stay on the train un q
til the station named on the ticket is
reached--it was said that the ruling
in regard TO the use of the ticket by
passengers getting on at intermediate
stations would be strictly enforced
Two years ago when the Board Of
Public Utility commissioners held that