Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-04-02

Beginning tomorrow morning our
Augusta Gardiner and Augusta-Togus
trolley patrons will experience genu-
inc novelty. Instead of paying cash
fares into the conductors hand as form
erly the nickel will be inserted into the
slot-mouth Of a small but business-like
little device which the conductor Will
conveniently present. The conductor
will no longer register cash fares.
The Lewiston, Augusta & Waterville
ST. Ry. Co. in a formal advertisement
appearing elsewhere in this ISSUE state
the reasons for the adoption of this
new method and explain the business
utility and benefits expected by reason
of the change. The payment method
will doubtless seem new and strange
here for a few days, although this
insert-your- nickel system is already an
accepted fixture in trolley operation in
many large cities throughout the coun-
try.
Bangor installed this hand register
system last November. Lewiston start
ed this system one week ago. For
number of years all fares collected in
such cities as Providence, r. l., New
)StA~O'N-
mouth n. H., etc. have been handled by
this register. Portions of New York
city. Elmira, n. y. Binghamton. n. Y,
and other large cities arc also using this
same method 1t is said to meet
peculiarly vcxatious auditing problem
which has always attended the collec-
ton of cash on street cars The claim
is made that it meets this problem in
manner which insures protection and
square deal to both the conductor and
the company whose cash he handles.
This is no pay-as-you-enter system.
Passengers will board the car and the
conductor will come around as usual.
neatly framed sign within tho car OK
plains that nckels only arc to be in
serted into the register, and that the
passenger himself must do the insert
ing. When the passenger lacks a nickel
and tenders another coin or bill. the
conductor always returns full change.
| The passenger then inserts the nickel
nckels, depending on the number of
fares he wishes to pay. The occasional
passenger rendering five pennies will be
handed a nickel in exchange for inser-
ton. Passengers using the sc strip
1
tickets will note that these two forms
of revenue tickets are rung up on the
old stationary register within the car
as usual. The old. familiar clock regis
! ter is used simply for the purpose of
registering these tickets. Transfers will
be issued and accepted, as usual. but
without registration
! So, IN the morning. if the conductor
advances for your fare and suddenly
draws forth from the region of his
waist-band, a suspicious looking device,
do not be alarmed. 1t is not a hold-up.
Simply insert your nickel, and on
the instant the farce is automatically
registered. bell rings and the nickel
| is available in the conductors hand for
| inspection or change-making uses
The new 20-ounce collecting register
| is not a box or a container of any
| kind. 1T does not hold the money 1t
| fits comfortably into the conductors
hand and draws the nickel, seemingly,
from passengers fingers and passes the
coin to the conductor after having made
| the instantaneous audit
| The passenger actually registers his
own fare. There seems to be no hard
| 3iiip VI iIlpoSIlIoll. L lie immediate deS-
| tination of the nickel is different. that's
all, The old familiar physical act of
payment is simply utilized to very
largely remove uncertainty, guess
work and suspicion from the conductors
| work
When asked if this would make col
lectlons much slowed. Supt Bowie of
the local company said. 1T is slower.
or course, than to hand the conductor
q quarter if you are paying an even
| I'VE fares. However, in practically all
large cities where fare boxes or these
Rookie registers are used, they never
accept the silver quarter. The full
change is always returned and the mas
Senger inserts the coin into the coin
counting box or collecting device.
Collections on prepayment cars in al
large cities are on basis where tbe
conductor has no option in the matter
OF registering fares. He simply returns
full change.
/ we nave adopted this system after
most careful Investigation, and are con
iiueht mat our conductors will soon be
cohveniencing patrons without della,
| and confusion"
Continuing his explanation this oficia,
further stated:
4 we are not making this change hn-