The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-01-28

rung and the conductors own
money.
By the same token the conductor
would not know where the deficit
came in if he had not money in the
money changer and in his pockets
at the end Of the run to pay over
on the number of fares rung up and
leave him the sum that he believed
he had with him of his own money
when he started on his run.
Must Finance His Run.
1t was pointed out that il a new
conductor should start. to work and
had no money Of his own he would
be in a bad fix The company fur
nishes tie conductor no change to
start out the days run, and the
men are sid to be expected to have
not less than S. of their own money
for this purpose. The company,
however, furnishes tickets free to
the men, and these are checked up
in the Office, and are checked
again by the men on returning from
their days work.
AS an illustration, in case the
first person to board a car at the
beginning of the condu tors run
should want ticket to Davenport,
costing IS cents and should tender
a 25-cent piece in payment, the con-
ductor would hand over the ticket
and then give Z cents of his own
money in making the change. Due
to this system the conductor has
his own money in the changer to
start the day and throughout the
run his and the company's money
is mixed.
Should he happen to ring up 10
fares when only nine passengers
boarded the car and not be con-
scious of the mistake. it would
/ prove out, whether he knew it or
not, that the fare register would
show one fare more than money
had actually been collected for.
I, The conductor would pay into the
| company what the register called
for and in so doing would be pay
ing for one fare, out of his own
money, and if he did not have a
complete check on his own funds
and his expenditures for the day he
would never know that he was 9
cents shy, or more as the case
might be. It is the same way with
lover" money. II the conductor had
not rung up all fares collected he
would have more money for the
company than the register called
for and if he did not know just
how much Of his own money he
had he would not know that he had
an extra 8 cents in his pocket.
The system is said to have led,
both ways, by either shortchanging
by a patron or the conductor or by
the conductor ringing up too many
or not enough fares, in situation
where undoubtedly the conductors
and the. company have been alter
lately losers and winners of small
amounts.
Rlmors of Open Shcl.
| While such is the system the
men work under and with seven
men discharged for alleged confes-
sions of knocking down. little
could be learned as to whether any
4stsps are being contemplated in be-
half of the discharged men or in
| bringing about a change in the sys-
tem.-
I Rumors are gaining headway
4 that an open shop fight is brew
| ing and that the company desires
to get rid of some of the old men
to make way for men who would
stay on. the job should strike be
precipitated, and who would serve
as Nucleus for full crew of non
union men to operate the cars. Nc
information has come to hand sup
porting such rumOrs. If the union
street car men. suspect that such
a move is on foot they refuse tG
let this be known and maintain a
reticence in almost the entire sit
uation.