The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1917-06-02
COMMUNICATION
JITNEY HISTORY.

JrTNEY HISTORY.
Editor of The Labor 7orld:
With the permission of the editor
wish briefly to call the readers at.
tention to what believe to be. as
nearly as possible, the true history
of the jitney operation in our city per-
tanning to conditions and grievances
between jitney operators, the old city
council and other opposing factions.
L speak with the firmest conviction
and with no hesitancy when I say
that both our daily papers, especially
the Duluth News Tribune, have shad-
owed, exaggerated and in many in
stances have failed to publish any
where near what may be termed an
honest and just publication of past
occurrences.
In the dawn of Spring, 1915, after
experiencing one of the hardest WIN
ters in the past few years pertaining
to unemployment, the result of
which was that number of men in
an earnest endeavor to continue. to
maintain, properly care for and SUM-
port themselves and their families,
scraped together all of their hard
earned savings, purchased > automo-
biles either by part payment or out
right, largely depending on size and
condition of the car and in manv in
stances the money was borrowed from
friends or relatives.
They set forth with an earnest ef-
tort, a light heart, a new breath of
liberty coupled with an abundance of
energy and with the firm determina-
ton to pave: the way for an inde-
pendent means of earning a liveli-
hood.
Common People Approved.
The transportation Of passengers by
auto cars soon met with the hearty an
prevail of the common people who
comprise the greater number Of our
citizens, by reason of the fact that it
was healthful, refreshing, convenient,
quicker and more pleasant to go to
and from work in an automobile.
; 1t is a we'll established fact that
prior to the birth Of the jitneys, a.
touring automobile was recognized as
luxury beyond the reach of the
workers purse. AS a result thereof,
about the only pleasure the workers
and their families would receive from
the luxurious automobile was the
privilege of building the roads and
streets over: which they travel, and
inhaling the perfumed vapor of gaso-
line. hearing the bewitching music of
the motor like the buzzing Of a. bum
blebee as it passes; here it comes.
there it goes, goodbye and good luck
till we see you again!
SO the birth of the jitney cars may
we'll be termed a pleasant dream by
its patrons and operators. But to be
sure, 1t was only dream. For soon
came. the sad awakening, when the
operators. were brought face to face
with the realization that they had
encountered a powerful opposition
whose prime. object was to extinguish
the jitney operation from our city.
And thus the once SO pleasant dream
soon vanished, only to be succeeded
by horrible nightmare.
TO extirguish the jitneys which had
already procured the stamp of ap-
prevail of the greater number Of our
citizens without leaving a stain or
stigma was no easy task and one
which required clever and cunning
diplomacy:
Interlocked Business. =
But with interlocked business and
social relationship it seemed no diff:
Guilty for the opposition to enlist able,
efficient and effective assistance.
First, the public press was resorted
to, meaning largely the News Trib-
une. A public press can do. more in
promoting or destroying a good cause
than anything else I can think Of at
this time. -,
The object in view was to create
public sentiment against the jitneys
by exaggeration of accidents as to
number, seriousness and nature of the
same. In many instances accidents
and smashups occurring to private
cars could be found in the news COL
umn of the News Tribune as jitney
accidents. And when requests for
correction were made they were sell
dom needed, and if correction was
made at all, it was generally in such
small print and in off corners of the
paper, that a prize would have to be
given in order that the same might be
located. By these many schemes it
was intended to inject poisoned fluid
into the. minds of good citizens, which
if brought to a successful issue would
finally thrust the jitneys into oblivion.
The jitney assassination, known as|
the jitney ordinance, hidden under.
the mask Of public safety, was intro
duced by Commissioner B. Silber-
stein in the early spring Of 1915, and
which. If passed, would have elimin-
ated all jitneys as it would be impos-
sible for any human being under the