Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-09-11
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FIXING THE ZONES

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If the new zone system about to be inaugurated by the
Public Service Railway Company is to be given a fair trial the
people must be assured that the zones which govern the
amount Of fare to be paid are correctly measured. Under the
new system three cents will be charged for the first mile tray
eled; this constitutes the first zone. Every mile travelled con-
situtes a zone and two cents is charged for each additional
zone after the first.
Anyone passing along the highways used by the trolley
lines has noticed the zone markings. These markings consist
of a section of the trolley pole being painted a brilliant orange
color With a little board sign hanging from the pole giving the
zone number. These markings are supposed to be one mile
apart.
The charges have been freely made that some of the
zones that have been laid out by the Public Service are not a
full mile in length. A few days ago the EVENING NEWS pub
lished a communication from one OF its readers living IN heas-
hey in which it stated that the second zone between Perth Am
boy and Keasbey was much shorter than q mile; that II this
zone measured the full mile, as 1t should, the fare between this
city and Keasbey would only be five cents, whereas, according
TO the zones as now marked out, the fare will be seven cents.
There ought to be some way of determining this matter for
the public. There is no reason why the marking OF the zones
should be left entirely with the Public Service Railway Com
pany. Past experiences with this corporation have led the
people to distrust 1t.
But this is not the only charge of this kind that has been
made. Warren G. King, who Is making his campaign for the
Republican nomination for governor on q platform aimed par
ticularly at the Public Service Corporation, hired Edmund H.
Halsey, a reputable engineer Of Newark, to measure some Of
the zones and Mr.. King has just made the surveyors measure
ments public. He finds that while some Of the zones are over
8 mile In length a large majority of the zones as laid out by the
Public Service are short. Mr.. King quotes some OF the zone
measurements on the Central avenue line in Essex county to
prove his contention. AS the reputation Of Mr.. Halsey as an
engineer is at stake, 1t is hardly likely that he would deliber-
ately fake" the measurements for the sake of giving Mr.. King
some campaign material.
In view of these charges 1t is only fair that the Public
Utility Commission or the county authorities should conduct
an investigation Of their own to see that the public is not get
ting short measurements In the laying out Of the zones. The
Importance Of this Is apparent when, as in the case of the ride
to Keasbey, the question Of an extra two cents on the fare Is at
stake. The difference between q five and q seven cent fare to
the people of this vicinity means a great deal in the course of
a year.
The zone system goes into effect this Sunday. The Public
Service has been doing its best to familarize the people with
1t. The system, honestly laid out, is entitled to q fair trial. 1t
has been accepted by the only authority that the people have to
represent them In such matters and an effort should be made
TO have 1t work successfully. There are some advantages to
be gained, and, on the whole, IL the people are assured that
they are not being cheated through short measurements, there
is reason to believe that they will be oontented, provided, al
ways, that the service is greatly improved over what II has been
during the past few years.