Evening star., 1924-04-06
Fifty Years Ago
In The Star

Such a thing as public playground
did not exist in the District of Colum-
bia fifty years
Public Swimming ago. There was
School Proposed. % ground. but no
organized spaces for pastimes and
recreation and sports were provided.
swimming and bathing. According TO
The Star of March 30, 1874, however.
a start was being made to that end.
The news item follows:
"In the House this morning Mr..
uale introduced a bill. which was re-
ferred to the committee on public
buildings and grounds, entitled: "A bill
District of Columbia for the Institute
of Physical Culture The bill is as
follows: BE IL enacted, etc, That one
acre of land, not otherwise occupied,
between 9Th and 7th streets northwest,
and south of B street northwest, and
vest of the Baltimore and Potomac
railroad depot, be measured, surveyed,
selected and set apart by the super
intendent OF public buildings and
grounds for the use of the Institute
of Physical Culture (public baths and
swimming schooD of Washington,
ID. c., provided that the building nee
essary for said public baths and
swimming school be built within two
years from the passage and approval
of this act, and that if within said
specified time said buildings and ap-
purtenances are not constructed or
if at any time thereafter said build
the purpose aforesaid, said ground
shall revert to the United States, as
If this act had never passed"
!.
When street cars were introduced
in Washington fares were usually
dropped in boxes
Bell Punches for placed for the
Car Conductors. front end the
drivers acting as conductors as well.
Later, when conductors were en-
ployed,. these men collected the fares
and recorded them on memoranda.
item in The Star of March 81. 1874,
did not altogether satisfy the man
agement, and a new device was adopt
ed to insure a fuller return to the
companies:
1.-The new bell punch has been in
troduced on the Avenue cars and soon
will be placed on the 7th street line.
1t is said that already the new presi-
dent. Mr.. S. L. Phillips, has become
satisfied that it's introduction will re-
suit in a considerable saving to the
company. Indeed, it is stated that
the receipts yesterday were from 81
to S1.50 above the recetS-s on the cor
responding day of last week. The
travel may have been better, how
ever, yesterday, so the comparison is
hardly 2, fair test. The punches are
patented articles, and it is said that
the company pays % cents for the use
of each per day. If this large royalty
is really paid for their use it would
seem doubtful if in the long run they
will prove profitable to the company.
They are used avoWedly on the as
sumption that the conductors are dis
honest and to prevent them from
knocking down Naturally the bet
ter class of the conductors feel indig-
nant at this charge and at being re-
quired to carry about them sort of
penitentiary badge of acknowledg-
ment that they rest under this charge,
and some of them have resigned. 1t
would be well for the company to try
the effect of paying living wages to
their employees as a means of encour-
aging honesty. The poor pittance
paid the conductors seems to be a. di-
rect bid for dishonest service. If the
company would pay the conductor the
% cents per day for the use Of the
badge of stealing he is obliged to carry
il would go a good way toward enabling
him to support his family honestly