The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-06-08
A RAILROAD PUZZLE.
why Should Not the Government Re
deem Tickets 1t Does Not Honori

To THE EDITOR OF THE SuN-Sir: On
Saturday, May 81, / purchased at the
Long Island Railroad station at Patch
ogue four parlor car tickets for train
which was to leave Patchogue for New
York at :2s p. NJ. on June 1. The
tickets am enclosing to you.
Upon arriving at the station I was
notified that there were no parlor cars
on that train, but that there might be
some on the next one. Ny friends and
myself waited for the next train-no
parlor cars
1 requested the ticket agent there to
hand me back my $2.16. He stated that
he could not do so under Government
orders, and that I would have to 20 to
the Long Island passenger ofi1ce In New
York city to redeem those tickets. 1t
seemed a simple business matter to
business man that he might have handed
me the $2.16. and have taken tho tickets,
but nothing doing"
However. I went on wednesday in the
hot. broiling sun to office sol. which 1
found out was called the Passenger
Agents Office Of the Long Island Rail-
road. under tho supervision Of the d.
rector of Railroads, and presented those
four tickets. After waiting consider
able time a young man who I believe
would win the prize as the champion
gum chewer of America asked me what
wanted. told him, and gave him
tho tickets. After lapse Of time he
handed me paper to I'LL out. which /
did. He put II on tho end of the desk
and left 1t there with the four tickets
and went on chewing gum.
There were four employees OF office
3o1 in the place at the time one was an
elderly gentleman, who was smiling and
kept on smiling. and so far as / know.
did nothing whatever only when my
chewing gum friend went over and spoke
to him, they cracked two or three jokes.
In the meantime the tickets and the
form had fallen to the floor of Office SOL.
1 had been looking out of the window
across the avenue, and I read the in
scription on the Post Office Building as
follows, and committed 1t to memory:
Neither rain lor snow, nor heat. nor
gloom of night stays these couriers from
the swift completion Of their appointed
rounds"
Later, my patience being exhausted. I
asked my chewing gum friend whether
I could be attended to or not. His jaws
moved, but no words came from them.
Then l told him either to give me the
tickets back or give me my money. His
jaws kept working but he said nothing
and handed me the tickets back.
II this is Government control of rail-
roads. to Hades with It! 1 figured that
II Burleson, bad as he Is, Is living up
to that inscription on the Post Office
Building. he has got the Long Island
Passenger Agents Department beaten to
a fragile. In the meantime, apply the
s2.16, IL YOU can get the money, TO THE
Sun Smoke Fund
Question l. Why should the Govern
ment Of the United States through its
officials sell something which it cannot
supply?
Question 2. Why should it not inme-
dlately return the money for that which
1t had sold and could not supply?
Question 3. Why should the travelling
public who are paying the salaries of
the men in the employ OF the Govern
ment be put to the trouble which have
been put to in this little matter of s216?
The Circumlocution Office and the Bar
nacle family. described by our late
friend Charles Dickens, have nothing on
the railroads of America under Gov.
eminent control. JOHN BUCKLE.
NEW York June