The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-02-13
Passenger Tramc and the Horse Car
COmpa mics.

reform of any administration made in the
interests of the people, was ever secured with
out conflict with the persons who have
vested rights in the abuses assailed 1t does
not surprise us, therefore, that our demand
for fair, decent and reasonable treatment of
the people by the horse car companies should
be met in various quarters with statements,
put forth more or less openly by the compa-
MES, which treat the demand as ridiculous
or outrageous, or as one compliance with
which would result in the ruin of those cor
porations In the attempt to laugh to scorn
the notion that man can be carried several
miles comfortably for five cents the compa-
MES supporters are not happy; but it IL a
fact that may have some interest to the tired
laborer on his way home, compelled to stand
or hang, that the company regards his wish
to have a comfortable seat as funny, as
notion fitted to excite the liveliest hilarity in
the mind of the recipient of dividends
But the argument that this reform would
bankrupt the companies is one that puts the
case seriously on practical grounds, and is
worthy of examination. 1t is based upon
| figures which are made to show that on
business of 166, ATS, 961 passengers carried as
at present the profit was only one-third of a
cent on each passenger-that is nearly seven
per cent. Emphasis is laid on the small
ness of this profit. Capitalists who would
like to put money in a safe place at six and
two-thirds per cent are probably not very
scarce just now but your horse car man Is
evidently convinced that any return less
than twenty per cent is at the verge of Ca
lamity. From these statistics it is argued
that any additional accommodation to the
public would exhaust the one-third per cent
on each fare and that thus the companies
would make no money at all Now the plain
answer is that this argument is all based on
cooked" returns. No horse car company as
now managed makes out its figures for the
| information of the authorities or the public.
They are made to deceive, to discourage COM
| petition, to prevent interference-in short,
to be used in such emergencies as the pres
ent to make it appear that the companies
just get on by the skin of their teeth, and
! that if the people are not satisfied with what
they get for their five cents and demand
more, why then they will simply not have
the opportunity to spend their five cents, for
the companies will discontinue and an I'M
grateful people will be forced to walk
Take the Third avenue line as an example
of corporation that is only saved from
bankruptcy by conducting its business in
violation of all the implied pledges on which
it obtained its franchise lift puts cars enough
on its line to carry decently the passengers 1t
now carries as if they were cattle it will be
in the hands of a receiver in six months-so
we are assured 1t carries seventy passen-
gers in one car at one Systematically
makes o miniature Black Hole of Calcutta
out of every one Of its vehicles-and manages
thereby just to keep its owners out of the
almshouse and pauper graves. But If
hundred thousand dollars is wanted at AL
bany to prevent any legislation inimical to
the interests of this company that sum can
be squeezed once or twice or even three
times in winter out CT the one-third of
cent profit made on each passenger. And if
million or even two could prevent the con-
struction of rapid transit line fitted to 40
commodate the public on the east side this
company would manage to put the money
wherever it was wanted for such purpose All
that we demand in the interest of the people
is that this and similar lines shall spend in
the accommodation of their passengers all
that they are ready to spend in order to de-
prive other people of the opportunity to &C
commodate the same passengers. If, for
instance, the Third avenue line would pur-
chase vehicles with what it sends to Albany
and lay out in other equipments all that it
is ready to spend to defeat the rapid transit
project the people who are compelled to use
it as it is would then be able to ride with
satisfaction and comfort, ifnot with pleasure
Traffic by the west side lines is already
greatly relieved by the extension of the Ele-
waited Rapid Transit Road, 80 that the Third
avenue is now the one fragrant violator of
public convenience, and we do not see why
legislation might not be directly applied to
remedy the abuses. 1t would be good adj
dition to Mr.. Killian's bill if clause pro-
vided that on or before a certain date this
company should put on its line double the
number of vehicles now in use that in case
of failure it should forfeit its charter, and
that the franchise should be sold to the
highest bidder, who should take the prop
erty at an appraised value. People would
then see by the price the company would be
willing to pay for the repurchase of its fran
chise or at what expense it would be anxious
to retain it just how much sincerity there is
if the plea of the inability of the business to
support the expenses incident to conducting
it legitimately. All the poverty plea amounts
to this:-Horse car companies with good
traffic can and do pay interest and dividends
on nominal debt and capital-on a sum
five times as great as was ever invested in
them. 1t was lately shown in court in