Evening star., 1948-07-24
Railroad Fare Increase

Railroad Fare Increase
To the Editor of The Star:
was interested in the news story appearing
In your valued paper of July 10 headed Many
Beat Deadline on Higher Rail Fares"
I think the travelling public, those who had
to purchase railroad tickets Monday received
quite shock when they attempted to pur-
chase round trip tickets for example, between
New York and Washington to find that the
Increase in the rate had jumped 81. 1t is a
safe conclusion that most purchasers of rail-
road transportation buy round trip tickets
because of the accruing savings made possible.
In fact, the railroads encouraged the purchase
OF round trip tickets, so in reality the truth
Eof the rate increase was a sensational amount
OF "a $40 per cent instead of the announced
20 per cent increase.
Inc National Federation of Small Business,
Inc, acting on instructions of its members, op-
posed the Reed -Bulwinkle bill. This bill ex-
empts the railroads in rate-making, or, in
other words, exempts them from the provisions
OF the Sherman Act. 1t would appear to me
and other travellers, that what railroads need
today is more real healthy competition, because
1t is safe conclusion the high rate increase
OF few days ago will not give to the public
any better train service.
In my opinion such an increase is wholly
unWarranted and we are amazed that the
lCC would grant such an increase In which
the public is going to pay
GEORGE j. BURGER.
Montgomery County School Debate
70 the Editor of The Star:
H. Stanley Stine's reply to the parents of
Montgomery County-whom he chooses to call
uninformed-that they attend the curriculum
workshop" illustrates the you're too dumb to
understand attitude of our Board of Educa-
ton and the superintendent of schools and I
assure you has not resulted in squelching these
uninformed parents.
In light of the record, 1t appears ludicrous
that Mr.. Slime should choose the word "unin-
formed" as description of any one For
example, Mr.. Slime recently took 1t upon him
self, IN an effort to high-pressure the will of
the superintendent of schools and /or the Board
OF Education upon the county commissioners,
to circulate letter to parents of children In
the Montgomery County schools. This letter
charged that:
l. The school budget was to be cut approxi-
mately $500,000.
2. That If such cut was made, certain in
dicated services would be eliminated
3. Kindergartens would be eliminated.
And what were the facts about this? They
were
!. The budget as provided by the county
commissioners reflected an increase of approxi-
mately 100000 instead of a decrease.
2 After approval of the alleged cut budget,
DR.. Broom, Mr.. Stines' superintendent OF
schools, announced to the newspapers that
none of the indicated services would be dis
continued.
3. DR.. Broom also announced that II addi-
tiOnal kinderpartpnS uodIld ho operated noYt
year.
Was Mr.. Slime uninformed or uisinformed
in this instance?
Mr.. Stine also stated: "The parents seemed
to be talking chiefly about cases of individual
children rather than with general complaints
about the school system" Is not q demand
that the several skills be taught as such and
that the individual child receive a formal
text for each subject~a general complaint? Is
a demand that the Montgomery County "ac-
tivity concept" perpetrated in the name OF
education (Which finds our children roller
skating and rope skipping in the classrooms)
be eliminated the case of an individual? BY
what devious process of reasoning does Mr..
Stine arrive at this conclusion?
Mr.. Slime also plays upon the question OF
teachers. 1t has long been the defense Of Mr..
Stines' superintendent Of schools that his
teacnlng SIAN was inadequate, incompetent
and inexperienced. How can that be? At the
elementary level 500 Of the teaching stan have
six years or more experience while 90b have
three years or more. Just how much expert
ence is required to teach effectively? Again
at the elementary level, over $50 Of our teach
ing staff hold degrees, more than 106 holding
Masters degrees. Does Mr.. Stine and his super
intendent of schools imply by this that our
system Of education makes Doctors degree