The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-02-22
TIE COMMON SENSE VIEW.
PAIN FACTs TO ne READ ny THE
0ROWLERS or NEW YORK.
WHY Not Ask the CIV Hnilron d. to Hon I'd nd
Ciuthe their Pa ~-enacrs, aud Give Them
Choice seats ~ the Favoritc Theatrest

WHY Not Ask the CIV Railroads to Board cud
CIuthc their Pa ~-engcry. aud Give Them
Choice seats w the Favoritc Theatrest
"If you want to teach man to swear,
said James W. Toshay, President Of the Broad
way and Seventh Avenue Railroad, make him
President Of street railroad, and he'll have
casions enough Mr.. Foshay added that in hs
opinion the proposition to compel the street
railroads to furnish seats for all their passengers
r. preposterous. you might as WE'LL" said he,
"make law requiring one class Of people to
eat breakfast and 20 to their business at one
hour and another class at another hour, and II
people would only do that VIC could give them
seats in the cars. But they all want to 60
at once, and at certain hours Of the day all
Of the passengers could not get seats in CON
tinuous string Of cars Then suppose that a
gentleman with two daughters should get on
car In which there were only two vacant seats;
not being allowed to stand he would have to
leave his daughters there and himself wait for
the next car, or the next. Hundreds Of cases oc-
cur every day in which persons desiring to 20 to-
cethcr would thus be obliged to separate II the
proposed law should pass. One Of the heaviest
days OF the season have found, 10y computa-
ton, that providing all the passengers stayed
In, one of our cars had seats enough for all but
seven passengers. 1t would be easy enough to
seat everybody II they would only come at the
right time; hut to talk Of giving seats TO
the thousands who all want TO GO from ono
end OF Manhattan island 10 the other at Ger
tain hour and at no other time oi the day-why
rs simply absurd and impossible. The puhlic
IL M reasonably hard 10 Ilcasc. IL won ne su-
isncd. no matter what l. done. when first
went into the street railroad business Thought
| | would break ~ the custom OF standing on the
! front and rclr Platforms. ana ordered my con-
! duet Nr- 80 make cNcrybOd 90 inside the car.
/ But IL raised Hedlam. The conductors were all
/ nN IN al | 4
with complaints. went on the cars mNselt and
| tried 20 argue the matter, but the passensrr.
| wouldn't listen. They wanted TO stand un the
! Platforms and they wouldn't 70 inside, aud that
| wa. the end ofit fhen tried 80 keen NJ system
ofventilation In the cars.aud mad improved Nent,
! laung Windows nut into tue roofs. and ordered
/ the conductors to Keep them always open cN
cept IN the severest weather. But that caused
! trouble. too. some persons we're TOO cold anu
| Others too warm; they quarrclled with tho con-
dnctnrs rnd poktd W. windows o'i' WIN WI r a
| and umbrellas. didn't give M YET. II TX en-.
| tn ught; SO got those little whirns patent
| vcntiators, and put them into the cars, nv "
| wa az no use. The passengers would not be
satisfied. and In two days, | think, they had
punched the venulNorr out. 80 l thihk u $
| about Impossible TO suit the public, and the
present complaints probably arise ircm ts
chronic diSsatisf set on
| Mr. Foshav added that in order to give the ut
most possible accommodation the cars on his
road were now making their trips eight minutes
/ oui,,ksr m an formerly The cars run on one and
one car TO every block. In the spring some new
cars are to be, put on. There Is not room room,
|
streets to run cars enough 20 give every passch-
ger seat. In West broadway there are -FOUR
liIes Of cars and q IS now almost tinp"-sioiy u
get along there I'm the morning and evening, nut
II the number Of cars should be doubled there
would be created In that street an inexulcable
lam OF cars. that would cause DELAY ana dlssat-
isfacton. 1t would also be impossible to
get so many cars on and on the stlnd.
In snowy weather Only half the regular number
81 cars are run, because the teams have To ne
doubled up but n the law should pass. the
companies would he obliged 10 keep force OF
horses equal to their regular working force
10 be prepared for snow storms. and none OF
them could afford to do Even now II requires
ten horses to run one car. The present idre oil
8 cents was fixed. Mr. Foshay said. at time
when horses could be bought for $50. nay for 81
cents a hundred, and iron for $40. Now those
prices are almost uoutled. and yet the conua-
MES are asked Tor the same fa'e,to double Their
expenses." The average cost Of carving pas
senger MIR Foshav has found To be Z 10 cents,
leaving only 10 of cent. profit from ca n pas
senCer.
Another result Of running 80 many cars. Mr..
Fo-nay thinks, would he that the companies
could not afford to furnish cars as costly ~ those
now used. Old ears would be run without re-
palrs A. long rs they would hold together. aud
new ones would he made as PLAN and cheap us
possible. The Broadway line has eleven men
cou-t ntly employed IN repairing car. hut the'
| would have to he di-ch rscd. lhc pay OF H.
ductots and drivers would also nave TO be re-
duced, and this. Mr.. to-hav says. IS small enough
now. The men work about eighteen hours "u'
of the twenty-iour. ana sometimes all mEh
when necessary 20 accommodate the public.
Douhle-decked cars. Mr. Foshay thinks. Woul,
not wor., well, because they would require fnu
horses and a brakeman cdVh, ana ncaiy an ne
ueputs would have TO he reconstructed o. nui'
them. and the comuanie- could not stand tn
cost. The proposed rapid transit railways. MI
Foshav thinks. may help the horse rAllrodd- on
Of their trouble uy relieving them Of the eostl