New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-01-15
SOME BRIDGE AMENITIES.
EXCESSIVE AUTHORITY OF POLICEMEN


ABATEMENT or NuisAxoss NOT INTERFERENoE
WITH PRIVATE RIGHTS. THEIR PROPER FUNCTION.
The recent collisions between various travellers
on the Brooklyn Bridge and members Of that
anomalous body known the Bridge police
and the still more recent attempt of the Bridge
trustees to render Solomonic decisions In the
various cases. have revived and increased public
interest in the management OF the public highway
between the two great cities and there Is gen.
eral feeling that the interests Of personal liberty
require some changes
Granting the necessity and difficulty Of main
tanning order in the rushing, pushing crowds that
use the Bridge cars the public is not disposed
tsmcv to submit to occasional outrage
thae the authorities may find their duty an easy
one. The American citizen has always drawn the
line at giving up his undeniablc private rights
even for the good and comfort Of his fellow men,
and IL there is to be missionary work to be done
in converting him to "A self-saerihcing spirit
the average Bridge policeman would hardly be
selected the missionary who should first open
the work. Excellent and faithful officials as
most OF these men doubtless are, their character
training and duties conducive to the cutiva-
ton OF the fortitcr in re rather than OF the
suaviter in modo There Is hardly passenger by
these cars-or by the Elevated roads, either, for
that matter-who, having the pleasant duty OF
escorting lady, say old lady, has not felt the
necessity Of overlooking the clownish manner Oh
the guard" in expediting the emptying OF the
car under his charge Step lively, therci' Is
not the proper way to address feeble old lady,
and yet these humble servants Of the public do not
mean anything by it beyond faithfully discharging
their duty, and one has constantly to remember
that they are as polite as they know how to be.
toRHr4RANCr ASKED
When the Bridge policeman struck Colonel
Cowan q few weeks ago. by way of reminding
him that he must not carry a lighted cigar, he
passed the limits which even the police committee
of the Bridge Trustees allowed him for the eXer-
else of his authority. But as a rule, complaints
of the rudcness Of employees of this grade met
with the suggestion that Chcstcrfcds' cannot
be obtained for the salary paid to Bridge police
men. In settling the ease arising out Of the COM
plant of Samuel Mclean, which caused much
comment some time ago and reached the other
day after several months delay the trustees sug
gested that Mr.. Mclean might have avoided
any trouble by not noticing the perem tory and
impoite manner in saying throw that cigar
down and making complaint TO the captain of
police of the curt, sharp manner in which they
gave their orders Life would be entirely too
full it, instead of rcscntng the spot the i'm
pertincncc Of an Over-zcalous official, one were
expected to hunt up the captain of police every
time Bridge policeman was percmptOry, curt
and sharp in mannerl And so the irritating
contest gees on between passengers who actually
do violate the reasonable rules Of the Bridge and
policemen who need TO see clearly and act
promptly to maintain order, until occasionally
perfectly innocent passengers are subjected to
most unjust indigntics, and the courts, the news
papers and the trustees have unscemly quarrels TO
discuss and deal with.
The Bridgc Trustees have "A good many difficult
problems 30 solve in adapting the Bridge facilities
TO the enormous and increasing traffic. No one
can remember the facilities offered at the begin
ming without recognizing how inadequate they
would be to the travel Of to-day; and yet the M
provements have thus far kept pace with the IN
crease, and the surgIng masses that now daily
cross the Bridge subjected to as little delay
as experienced at the beginning, while new
outlets and increased accommodations are IN
preparation. To be sure, there IS more hanging
on by the straps and less chance for seat in the
cars than there used to be- but one must remcmnc
the. dctum Of Nicc-Prcsldent Ga AWAY, OF the
Manhattan Elevated Railroad Company, uttered
before the Rapid Transit Commission last spring,
that the ovcrcrowdng OF cars WIN ohe-laII tne
pass myers standing is an essential ana unaVold-
able condi9n Of an 2ye no Inc he
made TO pay without IL. Those who forget the
strict limitation Of the number of passengers to
the seating capacity of the London and Paris
omnibuses will endeavcr 10 recognize that Mr..
Galloway is more familiar with the problem than
they are; and all will be patient as possible
with the WcdrNIuB dHnOldnctS OF ciOSt uutTltrS Oh
the Bridge cars long as they are carried across
the river without detention and without being
bullicd by the police.
PASSENGERS RIGHTS.
But this very crowding, while it imposes diff
cult duties on the Bridge employees also eXacts
quite enough gOOd-natured endurance from the
PASSENGERS without their being subjected to the
apparently unlimited and almost irresponsible
authority Of the policemen. Somebody IS going
to get the seats the Bridge cars, and 1t Is not
in human nature for tired man, who wants to
sit down and rest his legs and get a fresh hold'
of his bundles to surrender his right to exercise
any quiet little dodge which he may have
learned is effective in getting HIM an carly ads
mission to the cars. During the early days OF
the Bridge, a favOrite waiting place for passen-
gers was at the end of the iron rail ut which the
rear end Of the rear invariably stopped. with |
the increasing crowds the police were Obliged TO
put stop this thronging Of the entrance to the
Bridge platform, and passengers are now moved
on" usually under the mendacious assurance thiiI
there is plenty Of room forward But every |
passenger who uses the Bridge daily and Is at all
observant knows the points where the tram doors
and platforms will &c open before him when the
trains stop and regards II as an IndefeaslDle |
right post himself that he may step on |
board as on as the brakes bring the cars TO a |
standstilL Notwithstanding this, If policeman |
orders him TO move on" move on he must, sur |
rendering the pull" scat which his we'll |
applied observation has secured to him and taking |
his slim chances with the general crowd.
FERRIS OF DIsoBt DIENCE.
If he does not move he is liable to arrest, |
and what that means, in view of the present UNI |
settled status of the Bridge police authorities, the
experience Of the gentleman who was arrested on
Christmas eve too clearly indicates Hustled oil
to the Oak Street Police Station, he was con-
fronted by n New-Yorx police official who had
grave doubts as to his right to bail a prisoner en-
trusted to him by "anothcr jurisdiction The |
Dill lima off 81
fish desh, nor good red herring; an authority OF
neither municipality, representing neither New,
York nor Brooklyn, but tertio quid, suspended
in mid-air. with full power 10 arrest not only
presumed viOlator Of the Bridge rules, but also
any bystander who has the temcrity TO eXpostu-
late, and land both prisoners in the nearest dnn-
nnnn fnr 10 looming SnnlaV NhrlSt- |