Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-08-02
90
STILL TRYING THE IMPOSSIBLE

It looks as if the Public Service Railway Company had
mapped out a rather complicated method for collecting fares
in the new zone system that has been authorized by the Public
Utility Commission and ii is doubtful if it will prove the pana-
cea that Public Service officials expect it to be.
For one thing, it will serve to knock the pay as you
enter plan, which has proven such a success in the way OF
collecting fares into a cooked hat. A passenger gets on the car
and drops three cents into the box with the idea of riding less
than a mile. But suppose he stays in the car and rides several
miles. how is his additional fares to be collected unless the
conductor leaves his post on The rear platform and crowds into
what may already be a crowded car to collect the money?
A person does not always know how far he is going to
ride upon entering a car. Even if he knew the distance to the
destination he had in mind upon boarding the car he might de-
eide to go farther after the ride had begun; a woman starting
out for one store might, after getting on the car and paying her
fare, decide to go on to another store which might be located
in another zone. To accuse this woman of trying to beat
the company would be unfair, yet there would be no way of
getting her additional fare unless the conductor, seeing her
still on the car, went after it. The company certainly does not
expect passengers to know when the car passes from one zone
to another and then walk back to the rear platform to pay the
additional fare. Not only would that be expecting too much
of human nature, but it would be impossible in a crowded car.
Perhaps the company does not expect the cars to be crowded
when the new zone system goes into effect.
just how the conductor is to keep track of the people who
have paid for the different zones after the car is crowded IS
another interesting problem. Some passengers will have rid
den five miles, some three, some two and some have just got
aboard. Evidently an elaborate system Of tickets, coupons, and
checks will have to be installed which must increase expense
OF operation and cOmp1cate Things generally, Inc ucketS are
now in vogue on fast lines where the travel is largely for long
distances, but it has yet to be shown that it is feasible on the
short hauls.
But the main reason why there is doubt about the zone
system, as at present authorized, solving the problem of the
trolley company is the suspicion that it is based on a false
foundation. 1t looks like trying to bolster up something that
is pretty generally believed, and the investigation now going
on tends to prove which is that the stock of the company has
: gr~@@sgeatly inflated.
WheH~he present crisis came the proper course would
have been to squeeze out any water and get down to a solid
basis thereby reducing the amount that~ha to be raised IN
stead of trying to increase the income SO that any inflated val
use that there may be might remain undisturbed.
1t is true that the price Of everything has been advanced
and wages have been greatly increased, but before all these
increases took place the public was paying more than a fair
amount for service. Had the proper steps been taken higher
up when the pressure came there is reason to believe that ex-
penses could easily have been met with the fare as it was.
But with the decision of the Public Utility Commission the
zone system must now be given q try-out. We predict, how
ever that within six months the Public Service will be crying
for help again. When this occurs we would suggest to the
Public Utility Commission, having imposed on the public so
many different schemes in an effort to save the corporation,
that it politely tell the officials of the Public Service to begin
at the top and squeeze out some of the water that seems to
be SO apparent. The public has been worked to the limit and
as the remedy is not to be found there, perhaps there will be
more success if the company tries it out on themselves for
once. ~ ass