Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-08-17
Trooedy: In One Act


there came to Washington.
the Capital Of the United
States. a worn traveller. Sapi-
ems, and his eager, observant
son, Questor. Searching for
transport to their lodgings.
they found none except after
considerable difficulties. When
at last they rested in the inn.
Questor turned to his father,
saying, "Do you mean, o Sa-
piens, that this great city has
been without all manner Of
public transport for more than
six weeks?"
Eyes. son, such is the case"
"But, father, does not that
mean that certain men have
placed the safety and welfare
Of a few hundred above that Of
more than a million souls?"
Yes. son. such Is the truth"
'Is that not contrary. Sapi-
ems, to the beliefs Of democ-
racy, which hold that the good
of the majority should limit
the license Of the few?"
Eyes, Questor. you are right:
and this is the story you are
urging me to tell: Several thou
sand people bought ownership
of the system Of transport in
this great city. Others might
have bought it. but they did
not. These new owners were
not perfect. Questor. but then,
who is? Nevertheless. they
made the system function in
such fashion that they won
many prizes for safe and eff
Gent operation. Now 1t should
be told that the new owners
found much money in the
treasury which they had
bought when they bought the
firm. This money was savings
left over from the past and
belonged to whosoever became
the new owners. Many knew Of
this money, but did not move
to buy 1t. Later. the new own
ers distributed, according to
the law, this money amongst
the new owners. This aroused
much ire In certain Of the peo-
ple-some Of those who worked
for the firm, some lawgivers,
and others"
"Sapiens?"
'Yes?"
"Could that be because they
regretted that they themselves
did not share in the monies?"
Partly, o Questor. Partly,
too. because they who have
never built, operated and run
q business always seem to think
they could do it much better
than those who have actually
done so. It is human, QueStor.
to find that one can be much
more free with somebody else's
money than with ones own"
Continue, please, o father"
Through the years, it be-
came harder in all this land
to operate a transport system
and earn any money, because
Of many changes in the habits
of the people. In order to bal
ance this, a greater charge had
to be made for each ride. But
each time an increased charge
was allowed by the authorities.
II came so slowly that 1t was
insufficient. because mean
while the workers Of the firm
had received increases In their
pay, other costs had gone
higher, and there were fewer
people riding. Then came the
day in 1855 when the company
workers, called the union
asked the firm for much more
money If they were to do
their accustomed work, and the
firm replied that they could
not agree, else there would be
no money at all in the treas
ury. Then the union, led by
Ali Bierwagen, put down their
tools, left their jobs. and left
the great masses Of the
populace (many Of whom,
Questor. were not earning as
much as the transport work.
ers) to shift for themselves"
did not this action do great
harm to many little people,
Sapiens?"
Yves, my son, but that does
not matter to self1shness,
which gets its name because
1t does not see beyond self"
But, o father, did not the
firm sit down with Ali Bier
wagon to explain that what
he asked was impossible?"
20 yes, Questor, that was
done-and there is the heart
Of the whole matter: Ali Bier
wagon and his men replied
that they did not care about
that. They told the firm and
the lawgivers that, with other
businesses. the union must
have some regard for emptying
The treasury and killing the
lAolden goose: but with public