Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-08-15
RAILROAD RUMBLES
PASS HOLDERS
GET WARNING
Must Give Up Seats to Trav-
elers Who Pay; Failure
May Result Seriously


All passengers who pay fare must
be given seat. If there Is not
enough cars on a train to accommo-
date travellers an additional car must
be added. This is the latest order
from Washington. Just now there is
great variety of cars in service in
the east
This Is explained by one official as
result of the order to provide
cars for travellers. If the Pennsy or
Reading need additional equipment
and there is none of their own
handy, any car in sight, whether it
came from the far west or north,
is commandeered and put into serv-
ice.
Use Foreign Cars
1t is a daily occurrence to see
local trains on the Pennsylvania
Railroad and Reading Railway haul
ing cars belonging to the Denver and
Rio Grande, Union Pacific, Santa
F'e and other western lines. In con-
nection with the order to accom-
modate all who pay car fare there
is also a rumor that passholders will
be denied certain privileges. and may
be obliged to travel on trains speci-
fed by federal directors. 1t is also
rescinded. The Philadelphia Ledger
to-day says:
Free riders on railway trains
holding complimentary passes as en-
ployes or for any other reason are
in danger of losing the privilege. The
federal management of the railways
sent yesterday to passholding en-
ployes a notice signed by Elisha Lee,
federal manager of railways in the
Allegheny region, with the approval
of Regional Director Markham, i'm
pressing upon them the obligation of
courtesy to the public and the neces-
sity of giving preference in seating
accommodations to travellers who
pay.
Supcrintcndents Notified
The notice was followed by let
ter addressed to the superintendent
of each division of the Pennsylvania
Railroad system calling attention to
the obligation resting on free riders
and insisting that the purport of the
notice shall be strictly observed. An
official of the federal management
said indifference to this requirement
would result in the recall of the pass
privilege of the person to whom 1t
was issued.
Free Riders Stand
Attention was recently drawn to
the fact that on one of the SUBURBAN
lines of the Pennsylvania Railroad as
many as thirty or forty paying COM
muters were frequently observed
standing in trains while seats were
occupied by persons travelling on
passes. On one of the divisions of
the Pennsylvania Railroad in the
western part of the state all passes
issued to free riders bear stamped
Endorsement on the back that seats
must not be occupied when passen-
gers with paid tickets are standing.
~ believe it is the custom for a
free rider to get up and give his
seat to a woman standing in a car,
said an official of Federal Manager
Lees office. But this is nothing
more than a courtesy that might be
expected from a paying rider. The
point is that no paying rider should
stand in a crowded railway car, wheth-
er a man or a woman, when person
riding free occupies a seat. And
it is the policy of the management to
see that the ethics in such cases are
fully observed, even to the eXtrem-
ity of recalling a pass
The text of the notice sent to pass
holding employees is as follows:
I'm view of the reduction in pas
senger train service, required as a
war measure to aid the movement OF
troops, government supplies and
freight, all employees riding on passes
should be especially careful in OBJ
serving their courteous obligation not
to occupy seats when pay passengers
are standing.
Show Courtesy
AN employe using pass is en-
joying a privilege of Transportation
"a passenger holding a ticket has
bought and paid for right OF trans
portation which must be regarded in
every way superior.
"JJnder war conditions trains will
at times unavoidably be crowded 1t
may not always be possible to give
every passenger a seat, but certainly
none should stand while railroad
men holding passes are seated.
The obligation of an employe in
such a case is plain and rests upon
the principles of courtesy and right.
II may be performed without en-
barrassment to any one and without
attracting needless attention by SIM
ply rising and moving quietly to an
other part of the car or train.
THE success of the railroads in
coping with the great burdens which
the war is laying upon them depends
largely upon their ability to retain
the confidence and win the co-opera-
ton of the public.
Every employe who shows cour-
tesv and consideration helps toward
In fai G In hnC