The New York herald., 1876-02-07

From the best information available in the absence
OF official records the expense of operating and
tanning the Third road is estimated, approx
mately, at eighteen cents per mile. Hence the
daily operating and maintenance expense is IL 0S0x
is cents 3,o74, and the profit consequently about
s7OO
In this connection II may DO remarked that the
operating and maintenance expenses OF the company
given in the State Engineers report for 1874
to about $3.50 per day corresponding to mileage
probably less than that OF the present time that the
estimate of eighteen cents per car mile. which makes
the daily expense S3074, is somewhat within the rate
upon which the companys Official return is based
The Third avenue company, is seen from the data
given above, are now Offering nearly many seats
tho number OF passengers carried II all the patrons
OF the road must be provided with seats at least
seats must be offered for every six passengers carried
or, in other words If the desired end is effected by
simply running more twenty-five seat cars tho number
must be such that the average load Of each Ia 7-lO
instead OF 22 as at present; since
30 = - IL 7-lO approx.
The necessity Of providing a number OF
seats considerably in excess of the patron
age is principally due TO that requirement
Of car despatchng which sends as many cars
up as down and vice rerSd, during any given time
ceeding the duration OF trip regardless of fact
that the volumes of travel in opposite directions
seldom never simultaneously equal The proper
ton Of nine seats offered to six passengers carried
provides surplus slightly less than that deemed
purposes OF approximate computation. Upon this
basis, requirement. that the Third avenue
twenty-five seat cars to provide all their patrons
with seats would necessate an extension of their
mileage from 1850 to about 10000 miles daily,
with total corresponding expense of 20 600 by say
seventeen cents I20-and loss Of $64S every day.
The operations Of the Third road owing its
larger volume OF business, ought to be- and probably
are more economically conducted, per mile, than
IN the OF any other line similarly equipped but,
supposng an equality this respect, the operating
ana maintenance expenses and receipts would be as
follows for single trlp-say four and half mies-of
one of the other ong udna lines required to provide
indicated as necessary II all passengers are to be
vided with seats
Operating and maintenance expenses AZ car
miles lSc. Observation-Disclosures. so 81
Receipts average IA 7-lO passengers &c. 80 73X
Hence the proposition is untenabe that the
longitudinal street lines be operated
atvely with existing capacity Of and rates of fare
If all passengers must be provided with seats While
the great length of routes and low fare preclude the
possibility OF increasing tho number of cars Of the
present capacity sufficiently TO furnish the additional
quota OF seats required, II does by any means
follow that the desired end cannot be attained by in
creasing the seating capacity Of the cars without
adding TO their number mileage, since this prob
ably be done within limit which IL will be
to exceed without materially affecting the mainto-
nance aud operating expenses. Assuming that tho
street car companies Offering number of
seats about equal TO their patronage which probably
not far from the TRUTH IL is only necessary without
increasing the number of cars TO provide each with
thirtythree seats TO insure tho proportion of nine
seats offered to six occupied, since 60=223 Several
of the companies in this and adjacent cities operate
during the months two horse open cars, capa-
Die each OF seating iorty persons IL is, perhaps pos
sble construct upon the same general design
susceptible Of being made closed at pleasure,
and, consequently, available for during all
seasons of the year The expense of operating the
class OF rolling stock above mentioned is not in
all probability materially greater per mile than in
the case of ordinary twenty-five seat II It is
quite clear that twohorse street cars each with thirty
three sheltered seats be satisfactorily OPP
Grated and that the companies afford to
substitute entirely rolling stock for the 800
in then II is quite ustifablc that the present
demand, mo seat fare, ;" should take the form OF
legislation But any pressure brought TO bear upon
the street companies is III considered which seeks
compel such increase in the lumber Of twentytw
cars WILL for existing rates of
fare provide all passengers with seats for such a
measure OF relief is, has been shown thoroughly
impracticable. SAMUEL BUEL Jr,
No. 401 West Twentieth street.