Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1919-09-18
40 MEN BEAT
WAY FROM CAR
Leave By Windows and Motor.
man is Knocked Down
STATE MILITIA IN CAMDEN
McCarter Issues Statement
Relative to Situation In
That City

bp ppeCtUt Correspondent
GERMANTOWN, Sept. 18:-About
forty workmen, employed by Snare &
Trieste on government work at the
Raritan Arsenal at this place, took
matters into their own hands this
morning when they objected to pay
Ing the increased fares under the
new zone system of the Public Serv-
ice Railway Company and fought
their way out of the trolley.
The situation appeared to be so
serious to Public Service Railway
Company officials that a request was
received at the Arsenal that United
States guards be placed at the stop
ping points along the trolley line to
prevent further disorder, according to
1t. l.. r. Jeffords, adjutant. 1t Col. j.
H. M. Andrews in command of the
post indicated that as many of the
men did not work at the Arsenal but
were employed at the Nixon Nitration
Works and the Raritan Sand Com
pany plant. and as the trolley did not
: run inside the government reservation
he would have no authority to use
the guards for such purposes.
The fracas occurred shortly before
o'clock this morning when a Mid
dlesex line trolley bringing the men
to work from their homes In Perth
Amboy stopped in front of the ar
senal to discharge its passengers The
men became incensed at the conduc-
tors request for fares and knocking
him down managed to get out
through the rear door without paying
any fares. The conductor was not
seriously hurt and no arrests were
made The car was able to proceed
on Its way to New BrunSwick.-.
1t seems that few of the men had
objected to the fares yesterday morn
ing and had passed out through the
windows of one of the cars. In order
to prevent that the men say that this
mornig q double ender or reversi-
BILE car was sent out to take the men
with steel guards on each side which
normal prevent passengers from being
injured by putting their heads or
arms out of the windows. When the
men found that they could not get
out by way of the windows their
anger was increased and the result
Ing attack on the conductor followed.
1t was stated at the Public Service
car barns N this city that no reports
had been received of any violence at
the arsenal and that no cars had been
brought into the car barns because of
damages. So far as can be learned
there has been little trouble except
when the crowd is being carried to
work in the morning. Most of the
men board the trolleys in the morning
at Smith and Goodwin streets. Perth
Amboy.
While the company is said to have
had several extra inspectors on duty
at the arsenal to prevent trouble this
morning, it is said, that they were
helpless to prevent the men from
Aying the trolley.
The new rules governing the Pub
lie Service zone system call for
passengers entering by the front door
and leaving by the rear, incidentally
paying as they leave. At s o'clock
this morning about forty men, en-
ployed at Camp Raritan, decided that
there was nothing to prevent them
from going out some way other than
the rear platform-and accordingly
went out of the windows.
This means of getting out of the
car. and thus being able to dodge the
conductor who collects the fare, was
innovated early in the week when
several passengers of the car slipped
through the windows while the rest
were crowding about the conductor
waiting to pay their fares. This
method of leaving the car gained in /
popularity until this morning prac-
tically the whole car was deserted.
A scheme similar to this was car
ried out in Jersey City this week.
Arrests followed but the judge dis
charged the men, declaring that the
police could not be used to collect
Public Service fares.
CONTINUED on page 81