New-York tribune., 1919-08-02
Confusion, but No Disorder,
Marks Introduction of
Charge on nSurfaceLinesof
Manhattan and Brooklyn
Many Walk Part of Way
Ears Are Slower Because
of Making Change; Free
Points Are Badly Clogged


,hs introduction yesterday of the two
.snt charge for transfers on surface
bnes in Manhattan and Brooklyn. Pas
ssneers grumbled, but paid. When
they could they saved their pennies by
walking.
The burden fell heaviest on the con-
auc.ors. They had 10 keep track of &
dozen kinds of transfers. each Of a
digerent color. They had to carry
large quantities of pennies to make
change. They hsa to remember which
transfer points were free and which
required a charge. and. worst of all,
,hev had to explain all this to protest
ing passengers
job t. Hedges. receiver of the New
York Railways Company, said no dis
turbances had been reported over tn g
charge which is being imposed at
ninety-nine of the 1l3 connection
points in this borough.
Conductors said they were doing
twice the work they do normally.
How 1t Works Out
Passengers mount the steps of the
car. extract nickels from their bags or
rockets. drop them into slots and then
demand transfers.
Two cents" says the Conductor.
Here are some of the responses on
an Eighth Avenue car between Dey and
Twenty third streets:
Keep your damn transfer" shouted
boy Of sixteen, carrying a parcel.
"I'll walk"
an quit riding before I pay two
cents" said & man OF about sixty.
No, thank you said another I'N
walk
We'll" said a well dressed man. eve
might as we'll pay for it. The company
deserves it,
The conductor of this car said that
while on normal days he distributes
shout 400 transfers yesterday he sold
only about 12O
There was almost fight on & Twen-
tythird Street crosstown car when a
man shook his fist in the face of
2 courteous conductor and yelled:
You're working for gang of rob
bers,"
Too Much for Two Men
On 2 Sixth Avenue car between
Twenty-sixth Street and Forthwith h
Street the confusion was great. An
older conductor was "breaking in" a
new man. and though both worked
steadily they could not take care Of the
people that clambered into the car.
More than half the passengers on this
car asked for transfers to the Fifty
ninth Street crosstown line, which are
Tree The conductor said that persons
ordinarily using o1her crostown lines
are now using the Fifty-ninth Street
Ahc TO avoid paying the extra two
cents He said he sold less than half
OF the normal number Of transfers. or
about two hundred.
On the same avenue q car leaving
Forty-ffth Street for Thirty fourth
Street took more than twice the usual
time consumed Tor such trip. Pas
sengers asked q thousand questions
W7lie the conductor labored bravely to
Keep 'he car going and the platform
cleared. MS conductor was told bv
one rate woman: There's a limit to
everything, and this is my limit" But
she bought the transfer.
= car on the Ihlrty-fourth Street
erosstown line tsoA twenty minutes to
travel from Sixth Avenue to Fourth
Avenue The transfer charge was the
cause, Tor few people had the two cents
ready and the conductor had to make
change
The most crowded cars were those on
Madison Avenue, principally those leav-
Ing inlrty-fourUh Street for the Post
Office Many who use this route are
Foreigners and do not read either Eng
.1sn papers or sigma posted in the cars
In many cases they thought the extra
charge was new luxury tax.
10 was sand at the Offices of the Inter
borough Rapid Transit Company. 165
Broadway, that the receipts from
transfers could not be estimated for a
In Brooklyn the greatest difficulty
was experienced with the foreign
lsborers VINO used the cars to get to
their jobs on the South Brooklyn
docks and the Bush Terminal Many
OF them did not understand the new
order and thought the conductors
We're fleeing them. They took badge
numbers and announced that they
would make complaints
Often the conductors were so de-
iayed in making change and giving
explanations that they could not col
lect all the fares. and some of the
passengers rode free
William A. Meaeher, captain OF the
attendants at the Fifth Avenue Court,
paid nine cents yesterday morning for
Sde ride that used to cost him five. He
boarded Flatbush Avenue car, paid
Avenue Line, and then paid two cents
more more to get on Fifth Avenue car.
inls case was brought TO the atten-
'on OF Edward Gear, secretary to Re-
ee'yer Garrison.
Here's the Decision
>. The conductor on the Fifth Avenue
Mne made a mistake,' Mr.. Gear said.
lie should have charged Mr.. Meagher a
luii fare instead OF nonoring his two
cent transfer"
fewer transfers were issued than on
previous days Mr.. Gear said. Passen-
gers walked whenever they could to
AVOID the extra charge.
In the old days many persons took
sfansfers ms.s,l without being sure they
would use them," he added The
SSnarge is making them think twice be
lore re they do that"
ne existence OF free transfer points
On W some lines caused the overcrowding
81 these routes of travel. 1t did not
.ae .aSe the aphangers long TO learn
snat a the Rogers Avenue and Ocean
Avenue lines give free transfers to
HMem and Church Avenues. while the
iN'ostrand Avenue and Flatbush Avenue
ines ines charge two cents for the same
sshanges. The result was a rush to
ooafd Rogers and Ocean Avenue cars.
,oeveral conductors, complaining about
we large amount OF small change they
are required to handle, said they would
ssuggest to the receiver that a box be
Installed on each car in which pas