New-York tribune., 1915-03-07
How JiGmey BUS Works

The jitney is yet only protest, but what II
may become only time and evaporation Of watered
securities can tell 1t does rot appear that any
amount of obstructive or destructive Legislation or
discriminatory taxes will be able to put the iiney
bus out of the running 1t is pretty well estao'
lshed in the mind of the public that the worm will
turn-and a seat over rubber tires on the way to
the morning mail is a seductive thing.
The iitney is 10 the street railway companies
OF the country what the cafeteria is to the restau'
rant. And the attitude Of the public toward
subway guards who decline TO discuss complaints
is paralleled, it is believed, by the attitude OK
this same public toward walters, who, dissatisfied
with the 10 per cent tip that volunteered by
a weakened constituency, have arrived at the
point of refraining from verbal or written ae-
Acknowledgement of small favors.
Carmen have taken a tremendous lot Of en-
ioyment out Of the lives of their passengers over
4 period Of years. The companies have compelled
them to make speedy runs on short supply OF
fat-wheeled, in a manner Of speaking, rolling
stock. Did you, now, ever notice a rolling motion
when riding in a fat-wheeed car? Did you ever
ride up-Or down Central Park West in sur
face car that did not have at least one fiat whee'
1t is not so surprising, when you think OF i,
that employees who compelled 70 ride over ist
wheels for hours every day should look upon the
public as their enemy. Except for the public,
the companies would not have to run cars over
ungreased turns in the road when the city ordi'
nance calls for grease at all such ntersecting
bends in the scenery.
Rudeness is not an uncommon thing among car
men. This is proved by the fact that when some
subway guard or elevated trainman replies pleas
anty to passengers quaint request for data
concerning the carmans route, inevitably SAID
passenger writes to the papers about il, giving
the number of the exceptional carman and ask
ing the editor TO see to il that his company re-
wards him with batch OF stock. F p. A. likes
nothing better than to notice such instances
every time he can-twice year, say IN his col
yum. The item always creates unusual intere''
and enthusiasm, though doubted by many
And so this jitney cloud on the horizon Of the
street railway magnates, no bigger maybe than
hand, is perhaps the shadow of the hand which
controls the nickel, without which many a gold
trimmed limousine would be turned into the li-
ney bus ranks before summer.
The street railways of this country have had
things pretty much their own way. They nave
been capitalized to the utmost Of their earning
power at time future to the sale Of bonds. STOCK
etc, and still been able in times Of peace 20 pay
dividends sufficiently above bank interest 20 m
fuence investors to "Come on inthe waters
fine"
The litney bus may be the answer. But u
should be borne in mind that il is not IN posi'
tion TO give, at best, for equal money what a.
worst, the established street railway systems
have given. But the game is on three-handed be-
tween the street railway systems the carmen
unions and the public.
Choose hp hat inte
seat but look out for snhms rinAs-