Palisadian. [volume] (Cliffside Park, N.J.) 1906-current, 1915-07-31
July 27, 1915

Editor "Palisadian,'
Palisade, N. j.
Dear Sir:
| note in a recent issue of 'The
Palisadian" the announcement of a
proposed compromise agreement be-
tween the Committee representing
the Eastern Bergen County Improve
ment Association and the represen-
tatives of the Public Service Corpora
ton" regarding the Fort Lee Ferry
fare controversy While the an
nouncement does not say so, | as
sumo that the proposed agreement
carries with it a discontinuance Of
the pending litigation which was in
stituted, as | understand it, to enforce
the reduction of ferry fares ordered
by the Board of Freeholders.
Public Handed A Lemon
Instead of a saving of $4,000 to
$4,000 to the daily patrons of the
ferry; instead of immediate relief to
1000 wage earnerS and bread winners
who cross the ferry daily and whose
interests the so-called compromise
agreement are said by the announce
ment to be specially guarded, close
scrutiny of the agreement discloses
the fact that the people are being
handed lemon. The only interests
that will be substantially benefited
is, as usual, the Public Service Cor
poration, while. the people YVES use
the ferry daily will be the victims
rather than the benefciaries of the
scheme.
Let US see just what is proposed
by the so-called agreement.
One Sided Arrangement
Tickets for fifty-two rides are to
be issued each month. If the whole
number of the tickets are not used
up during the month of issue, the
ones left over, though paid for, are
lost to the purchaser. The Public
Service Corporation, however, does
not suffer by the unused but paid for
tickets. If month contains twenty
four working days, excluding Sun
days and legal holidays, then a pur-
chaser of the monthly tickets will use
only forty-eight of the fifty-two for
that month. The balance of unused
tickets, though paid for, are lost to
him. No member of his family can
use the extra tickets. If purchaser
of the monthly tickets should be so
unfortunate as to be sick on week
day and unable to go to his place of
business, he will have more unused
tickets at the end of the month, which
he has paid for but cannot use. Per-
haps it is the contemplation of the
compromise CD that "wage-earners"
and "bread-winners" must get sick
only on Sundays or legal holidays
when they cannot use the tickets any
way.
Suppose, for any reason, pur-
chaser of the monthly tickets should
find it necessary or desirable to use
the Weehawken ferry and Coytesville
line, does he save anything on his
Communication ticket? Quite the con-
trary. He only increases the number
of unused tickets at the end of the
month, paid for but lost to him.
Not Family Ticket
The communication tickets are to be
used only by the purchaser No
member of his family can use them.
= he great burden on the wage
Garner" and "bread- winner" is not
what he pays to go to and from his
work in the city, but what it costs his
wife or his children to come and go.
AS they may go only two or three
times a week there would be no object
in getting monthly ticket for them.
Law Suit Not Discontinued
If the compromise had been on the
basis of fifty-two tickets for $1.75,
the tickets to be good until used and
to be disable by any or all members
of a family, then something of a sub
stantial benefit would have been
gained for the "wage-earners" and
"bread-winners AS it is, the wage
earners and breadwinners most
vitality affected find themselves in
practically no better position than
they were before but with the suit
which promised them relief in the end
withdrawn and discontinued.
Compromise is Ingenious
OF cours, all litigation is uncer
tain, and it's to be expected that
the Public Service Railway Company
would exert to the limit it's great
power, influence and wealth to resist
enforcement of any order which
threatens diminution of it's revenue
= Continued on page 81