The New York herald., 1871-08-13
Our Street Car Railroads-Immedinfe .
form Called For.

Our Street Car NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Rs
form Called For.
1t is curious fact that the American people,
absolutely their own masters, and perfectly
able at any time by slight exertion OF will
to redress crying abuse, should require SO
much to rouse them to action. In European
country. where the people have more trouble
to get justice, they are eager and noisy in
demanding their rights. But we free citizens
sit down quietly and let people ride roughshod
over us until the matter reaches the point
when human nature can stand no more, and
when the crushed worm must turn, and then
we arise in our might, and by an energetic
sweep of the hand put things straight again.
II is only o few months ago that the public
attention was drawn by brutal murder to
the shameful mismanagement Of our various
street car railroads. We then had
melancholy proof that these soulless cor
our comfort and our safety to the hands of
desperadoes, no matter how reckless and
bloodthirsty, so long as they were content to
stand on car platform with the reins in their
hands for fifteen hours in the twenty -four, at
the moderate compensation Of couple Of
dollars day. OF course we were greatly
excited and made all sorts of threats to force
a reform. That reform was tacitly promised,
not only in regard to the character Of the men
employed as drivers and conductors, but also
as to myriad of other grievances, the recital
of which filed for weeks together from two TO
four columns Of tae HERALD. w r. .sr' ~
We all know how these promises have been
kept. There is not line in the city on which
any substantial Improvement has since been
made. The owners of thess vast Monopolies
patted the public on the back until the rush Of
blood to the head had subsided and their
victims were again calm and patient and then
allowed things to fall back into the old routine.
We trust, however, that the matter will not be
allowed to sink to rest in this unsatisfactory
manner. We hope public indignation will
revive and grow stronger and stronger until
at last we have something like tolerable
system of urban intercommunication. These
corporations are making enormous profits out
of the privilege granted them by the people
to lay down their tracks on public property,
aud it is but fair that they should fulfil their
original pledge of speedy, pleasant and mex
pensive transportation about the city. We
shall now notice just two or three of the evils
on couple of the roadside Third and
Madison avenue lines--which call for imme-
diate redress.
First Of all we ask the directors of the Third
Avenue Railroad If they think their cars are
fit and proper vehicles, in point of cleanliness.
for public travel, and whether 1t is fair play,
after having collected five or six cents
for ride, to stuff unfortunate passengers
together like herrings in barrel until
the air is dense and foul as was that
of the Black Hole Of Calcutta? 1t is
alive with vermin, and the floor and platforms
reek with tobacco juice and all sorts of moi
some filth. We do not believe that these cars
are swept out once during the twenty -four
hours perhaps, indeed, they are only cleansed
once week. Many ladies are afraid to use
them, unless they happen to be wearing
morning dress which cannot be spoiled. And
then as to the overcrowding at morning and
night, it is simply shameful. A passenger
must, indeed, be sanguine to hope for seat
running. Is this just fulflment of the con-
tract on the part of the Car company? 1t is
idle for them to say that they now run as
many cars as they possibly can, and that
there is only half minute between
them. That is nonsense. Some arrange
ment might be made to have the horses
drag two OF three cars or to build big
ger vehicles. There is no obstacle to there
being plenty Of room and a seat for every
body except the selfish greed Of the company
Then, again, why is not more care exercised
in engaging respectable and courteous drivers
and conductors? One of the former resents
as an insult request that the car should stop
to allow passenger to aligbt. 1t is notorious
that many of these men are the allies Of
thieves who "work the car route" and that
the company's emplOyG and the criminal share
the gains thus acquired. The car companies
ought to insist on politeness on the part of
their servants, and they should not grumble If
1t costs dollar day more to get men pos
sessing this essential qualification.
Another nuisance we shall notice is an
almost everyday occurrence on the Madison
avenue line. This is delay of from twenty
minutes TO an hour in Centre street, caused by
the blocking nm of the line NV the Harlan,
freight wagons. The interests of city passen-
gers are coolly subordinated, as a regular
thing, to the interests Of the freight traffic of
the railroad. This is sublime piece of i'm
pudence on the part Of The company, that, II it
tion of its charter
And now we shall only at present call atten-