WORKERS' TRAM-CARS. Why Make Distinctions?

Free Lance, Volume VII, Issue 351, 23 March 1907, Page 6

WORKERS' TRAM-CARS. Why Make Distinctions?

NO doubt with the very best intentions, the City Corporation some time ago started the experiment" o* running cars foi workers at special hours and reduced 1 cites. At first, no effoit wais made to exclude other pieople who wished to travel by thesecars. Probably some worker complained that he had to stand or miss the car, for a change came o'er the scene. Evidently the oidlei went forth that "worker"couldn't possibly apply to the female sex, and so, in many cases, girls and women returning from work were prevented from entering these woukeis' cai-ib. Only the 'omy-'anded sons of toil, with grime on their hands and smut on their faces, were permitted toentei these special cars. The saoied privilege was for them aJone. For the weary semptreso or the woman tired with a day's hard charting, or the jaded shop-gul, footsore with standing on hei feet all day seivmg customeis, theie was no consideration. • • » Now, t>uch distinctions are abtsurd. These cars, like all the others, iuii to a time-tabie, and the City Corporation takee> up an invidious task in making distinctions between its customers. If. it ib to lun special cairs> ' For male woikeis only," it can haidly refuse, on principle, to run special cars for female workers, too, and other still nioae exclusive cars for those who consider themselves the currant jelly of colonial society. Commence the practice of making distinctions and it will be easy to cany it to absurd lengths. If the Corporation takes up the work of common carriei , it must make no distinctions between tbe public. The only safe plan us to act on the pnnoiple of first come first served. Let it increase its roiling stock and pwt on a sufficiency of cars to meet the congestion of traffic that anises at ceitain hours of the day. It is utterly indefensible to refuse admission tx> women because a car happens to be labelled 'For Workers." You might just as well label it ' Specially leserved for Gentlemen with Fiock CoaW or 'For Ladies who keep Thiee Seivants." • • • At the same time, we are in entire sympathy with the necessity for taking the workmen to and from their homes in remoter -suburbs at certain hours — at reduced fares if you like. Let theie be a fultei tram service for the purpose. But there must be no discrimination. All who want to travel and aie ready to pay the fame must be allowed' their fair chance. It is the public at large who own th« tirams and not any special section of them. In public services of this kind to try and pick and) choose your customers is the sure beginning of trouble. And if privileges aire wanted for workers, then surely we are all workers.