The Washington herald., 1918-05-25

Special Correspondent Of The washinstoo Herald.
New York. May 1f-"Knocking
down" on New York. street cars
costs the Brooklyn Rapid Transit
Company alone one level million
dollars year. according to the
company's lawyer. who had q con-
ductor yanked into court for pocket
fares. 1t was intimated in court
that the total loss was hve millions
q year.
According to the company some
conductors even hate to let the COM
pany have the lead nickels they ac-
Quire. One man arrested recently
for the gentle art OF Knocking
down" had ten lead nickels. How
ever. the conductors have not had
their say and most New Workers be-
lieve that as q class New York con-
ductors are just as honest-perhaps
more so-thsn any other.
The daily loss on the B. R T. 10
reported as more than 5000 or s6o.-
900 nickels. One conductor was ar
rested not long ago after he was
watched stealing l13 fares in ll0
minutes. Another took twenty-five
cash fares and then forgetting him
self rang up one.
There. is one spotter to every
three cars. and yet the company
claims that the pilfering goes on.
Only one conductorette thus far has
been given the gate for pinching OF
a few stray nickels. She was not
arrested. She was merely fired.
1t is claimed that when the 5
o'clock rush is on the nickel swip-
ers get in their best licks. and 1t
Is almost impossible even for the
spoilers to get the exact dope on
the number of fares rung up.
The subways and elevated roads
have eliminated the knocking
down" curse. The passenger must
buy his ticket from a ticket seller.
The ticket seller is given so many
tickets each day and each night he
must account for them. If he makes
any mistakes he must suffer the
loss.
Where the very streets are tenn
reramental; where faded shanties
hold up their roofs proudly beside
apartments de luxe; where a milli-
onaIre's wife and a schoolmarm. and
bob-haired artist lady share the
same view of tiny Sheridan Square,
stands the Greenwich Village The
ater.
Greenwich Village is the most
press-agented spot in town. When
the new theater opened it was
thought It would be the rendezvous
for the bobbed hair, besmocked con-
tingent-the cigarette smoking
girls, the Ebert Hubbard tied men,
and those who go in for the cosmIc
urge.
But it Is not so. No indeed. The
new theater attracks the limousine
crowd, the languorous ladies who
use lorgnettes, and whose husbands
are in trade. The serious little
thinkers do not go to the theater at
all. and those who do go are all in
the social register.
Harry Kemp has gone back to
the days OF Shakespeare to fill his
playhouse down in Greenwich
Village. When his theater was
about to open for the week. he
didn't have enough money to pay
for the mailing of his announce
ments. So he went from cafe TO
cafe, and with a cowbel gathered
the crowd and spoke to them of his
plays to be acted during the week.
The over the Top" dress made its
appearance in New York this week.
1t is a slip on affair without but
tons or trimmings. and is made of
gingham. 1t Is for the woman war
workers who want to save time and
who want to release men from gov
ernment service. where they are
employed in making ready made
dresses. The woman who wore the
dress is a society woman. and she
appeared at afternoon teas at the
Ritz, Waldorf, Majestic and other
hotels. The entire dress cost s.,
and those who wish a hat to match
can make one for 81 extra. There
are very few New York women in
cidentally who are not busily en-
gagged in some sort of war work
Many husbands come home to din
nerless apartments. but they realize
| II would be unpatriotic to complain
And besides 1t would not do any
|