Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-02-04
Ei1rtttt1p Glrat

blamed for a good many things
these days and while some of the
conditions unloaded on us are the
result of failure to plan for them
last summer there are certain places
where the suffering public can help
itself and also where the men who
run public utilities, for instance, can
help the public to help" was the re-
mark of a student of local condi-
uons' who has enough money to
note things without the stress which
falls upon the man who has to hus-
tie Tor u living and to wonder how
to keep warm. There is something
to the comment of this observer.
His phrase, When the stream runs
low the mill does not run full time"
Is applicable to shortage of steam
neat, gas, coal and tight. Harris
DurS Is shy on all of them and wa
ter may again be added to the list
any day. We have just escaped.
fhe winter is of unusual severity
ana that makes reduction of use
oouply hard. Yet, after all, it is
What Will eventually have to be
done. one of the authorities on the
food and provision business in the
country said recently while visiting
Fhlladelphla that the trouble with
the 1000 situation was in the
ktchen. We have the producer.
the manufacturer, the jobber and
the retailer lined up, but we have
not got the Pennsylvania housewife
with us yet" This is rather strange
talk to be given to men familiar
with State whose housekeepers
hn |, .t
The trolley situation here, which is
not as bad as in Philadelphia or
pittsburgh, between Allentown and
Bethlehem or in Wilkes Barre. but
somewhat worse than other places
which might be mentioned, is. in n
measure caused by failure of the
public to help.
This latter statement may be n
rather startling one especially in
view of the fact that most of the
trouble, on the managements' sides.
is due to an idolatrous regard fot.
schedules of midsummer in mid
winter. But the fact remains that
II people at large used their heads
cars could make better time and
there would be less discomfort
everyone wants to get home quickly
IN the evening. even If there is less
eagerness to get to work with speed
In the morning. 1t is human nature
10 grab the first car that comes
along. And, Notwithstanding the
tact that there may be a nice, warm.
haIt-hlled car block behind, the
average man and woman will dive
INTO crowded car for Middletown.
Rockville, Linglestown, Steelton'
Hummelstown or Carlisle when he
or she probably wants to go seven
plocks. Most people really need the
exercise, but they want to get home
SO they elbow the suburbanite or.
the man who lives up in the Tenth
ward or out in State street and get
themselves overheated and in the
end probably save two minutes. be-
cause the next car" is often 500
Ieet pehind the crowded through
i %Hlcn mas TO stop many times
to let off local passengers Tba
failure to establish express service
on some lines and to make it a ruIe
TOT dlspatchers or conductors to call
attehtlon or passengers to "the next
car Is 10 blame in part for the con-
SeStIon. IL people are not told they
VIII pile into the first car. There
are times in day when a River
SIDE car will go up town, packed to
the doors, carefully in advance of a
seneca street car. while the car fol-
lowing at short interval will have
d normal load. A PaXtang car will
go eastward with 100 passengers
half of whom leave the car before
1t reaches Twenty-third street while
the car that runs to Twenty-third
street only and Is intended to hauI
local traffic, huns along a block
Dehlnd probably third filled The
puIk OF this situation is due to the
fact that the operatives are NOT
trained to help people to thinl,
Irafiic experts say that express. .serv-
Ice and tactful handling of crowds
are helping to solve problems in
other cities and they claim, more
over that the good will of the pun
llc can actually be gained bv boss
ing 1t around a little. And after all
the thoughtful gentleman whose
chance remark about the necessity
of the public helping some started
these observations was not far
wrong. There is need for a little
mutual understanding in Harris
burg between the men who have
nat stomachs in the evening, empty
coal bins, feebly burning lights.
lukewarm radiators, frozen gas
pipes and maybe only gurgling wa
ter spigotS and the men who sInn1v
I1aTrlS1llr0
people are good natured; Just watch
them and see," says the observer of
conditions.
The worst part about the trolley
situation is the humorist in n
crowded car. Once in while there
Is a real wit. Generally it is aggra-
vating. The other night one of
these funny men got into a car and
when 1t was stopped by an automo-
PIE which had developed acute
meningitis he began. He supgestod
buying gas" sending for a doctor
telephoning to mother, having the
trolley lead the auto home and null
ing the bell The motorman had a
to eat. The conductor was tr,,;ru.
to make sure of his record in a lam.
med car. The humorist made q few
girls laugh and finally began n
monolog. And what ended it was
in