Evening journal., 1918-07-02
TUESDAY. JULY 2, 1918.
FIRLouCHs. PASSES AND FARES.


q EvERAL days ago we published letter from Della
= ware soldier who complained that after he had paid
Liberty bonds insurance and other things he did not
enough money left out of his monthly to enable
him spend three cents mile for carfare to get home
and his relatives and friends,
On Saturday published a letter from Colonel
Churchill which follows;
Washington, June 81 1918
The Editor, THE EVENING JOURNAL, Wilmington, Del;
Dear Sir-In the issue OF THE EVENING JOURNAL Of
June e 1913 there is an editorial entitled mo Money
Home Coming" Included in the editorial Is a letter
signed by "a Volunteer in which the soldier SAYS that
he does nave money enough 20 take him back home
when leave because part Of the increase to three
cents mile Of the rate for railroad ticbets
Under Government order soldiers travelling on au-
thorzed furlough charged only cent mile for
railroad fare This is just onehaf Of the lowest rate
that charged on any steam railroad prior to the
entrance Of the United States into
There is a possibility that the soldiers letter. having
been given such prominence. may create misunder-
standing to the facts in the case. WIN you not be
good enough TO in a subsequent issue OF THE EVEN
ING JOURNAL that the three-cent passenger rate on
railroads does not apply to soldiers who are on furough
and that they given their transportation the rate
of cent miller By doing this you will be helping
the cause and setting matter right
Yours very truly,
Colonel General sa Chief Military Intelligence Branch,
Executive Division
1 BY Harvey Given, Captain, U. S. N A.
IL will be noticed that the colonel says the one-cent
rate applies to soldiers travelling authorized fur
lough" In that he Is correct II does not apply how
ever, to soldiers who leave camp on passes and who
enough to home to visit their folks whenever
passes given TO them All such soldiers must pay the
three cent rate.
The following article from Philadelphia paper tells
the story;
In the last two weeks the Philadelphia boys at Camp
Meade have had one military fact impressed upon them
in their tenderest parts-their pockebooks. is this:
Tough and pass
The new railroad regulations provide that soldiers
travelling while on furough shall have preferential
a II
June 10 hy Direcor-General McAdoo When this
reached the boys at Meade there was great rejoicing
They thought they would be able TO travel home on
their frequent Sundays leaves at a very low rate less
than 81 so for the round trip.
But they got Jolt when they applied for the rate
the day it went into effect Here is what happened
hundreds Of men at the camp ticket station;
"Give rOund-trip ticket to Philadepha-solders'
rate" said the soldier.
where's your furlough?" demanded the ticket agent
Proudly, the doughboy reached into his inside pocket
and pulled out his thrusting It into the window
One look enough for the ticket agent He pushed
IT back That's no furlough" he remarked; Its only
pass"
WELL what's the differences" demanded the doughboy.
The only difference is that a furlough you pay
szH6, and on pass you pay $751; the regular rate"
Some Of them the light right away but others |
wanted TO the matter-and did The ticket sellers
during the last two weeks have been going through
Shermans version OF war. There has been more Jaw
wassns over the new army railroad rate than there
ever was IN camp army food or Hndenburg drives
home. p''''0o Ut 'le sHls al
And when the boys reached pbladelnbas what
city had to listen the last two Sundays 10 private in
dignaton meetings front proches while the Meade
ads on leave told what they thought Of the new ruling
The average soldier who behaves himself at Camn |
Meade can get pass from Saturday morning until sun
day night every two weeks II he ives in baltimore
that's fine because Baltimore within trolley distance
II he lives in some distant part OF Pennsylvania he
usually doesn't want pass, because he would take nm
all his time riding back and forth II he lives IN pbla
depha majority of the Meade boys do he would
Ike much to get home every weeks but when
ne is getting only $50 month the payment Of s752
every two weeks for carare alone pretty big 10
him. 1t would have been GOdsend 10 him TO get the
cent-a-ile rate but the railroads were afraid of n II
would mean several special trains and scores Of extra
coaches And the railroads haven't any coaches 20 spare
these days. So the rate applies TO those on fur
Tough only. Hence the grosns.
Those conditions also apply to Delaware BOYS
Why the three-cent rate should apply to pass and
the onecent rate to furough it is dlncult TO under
stand the really is. practical sense short
term furlough.
The onecent rate should be to apply TO passes
a. well as to furloughs. and certain railroad officials
should bc made TO forget those fears as they have been
made TO forget other fears recently.