Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-12-28
A GRADED FARE PLAN
Which G. K. Flower Thinks Would
Bring Traction Lines to Time.
ONLY THREE CENTS TO STAND UP,
While the Regular Rate Could Be Collected
From Those With Seats.
THE RETURN TO THE RAILROAD ROUTE

Mr. G. X. Flower, the well-known in
ventor, suggests plan to correct the over
crowding of the street cars that he thinks
deserves patent He says: 'Iet an ordi-
nance be passed making it misdemeanor
for conductors to collect more than cents
from any passenger for whom he cannot find
seat. Amy passenger, once having paid
for standing room, may take a seat, how
ever, without any further payment when
vacat ed by another passenger. This would be
just, alike to the compsny and passenger.
Even the right to standing room on a
crowded car is worth something to the party
carried, while the carrier is paid as second
class fare for this much accommodation.
Such rule would also be an inducement
for the conductor to make room on the seat
that is often monopolized by some churlish
persons that will not move an inch while
there is yet room for another to sit down,
and its financial operations would induce
the traction managers to put on more cars
and give better service"
Fifteen in One Neishborhood to Change.
A gentleman living at Dallas, who travels
''There are Is persons in my immediate
neighborhood who will change from street
cars to the Pennsylvania Railroad the first of
the year. We are tired of hanging on to
straps nine times out of ten, and seeing
crowded cars go by, in which it is often i'm
possible to secure standing room, let alone a
seat. As 1 said before, Is of us will buy
monthly Communication railroad tickets on
January 1, preferring a walk from depot
to the business center to continual discom-
fort on the street cars"
7. r. Murcell, of New York, has been
stopping at downtown hotel for several
days past To DISPATCH reporter he
said: 81 notice the Pittsburg people are
quite agitated upon the subject of crowded
street cars, and 1 must say, from my brief
experience with them, think they are
the most crowded ever encountered. We
have good many people in New York. as
more crowded. to say the least.
Bad as the political system of
the metropolis is, the people still
have enough power to secure some return
for the valuable franchise given to the
transportation corporations. OF course,
the elevated roads are used for nearly all
travelling of any distance. When the new
cable line OF Broadway gets fairly into
operation we may have duplicate of your
crowding there, but certainly hope not.
/ have gone to the East End now three
times, making six trips, and on only one o
these did have a seat for the entire jour
ney."
Not Enough Power on Electric Roads.
Chief Murphy, of the Allegheny Depart
ment of Public Safety, does not see how it
is possible to escape having crowded cars,
though he admits they should not
be so Yesterday he said: ''The cars
in Allegheny are never badly crowded
save in the morning and evening,
and 1 don't see how that can be avoided.
In every city cars are crowded at those
times. More cars would be the only way
out, but this would only work on cable
roads as is done in Chicago
by roping up trains. To run more
cars on the electric roads would require an
enormous power; in fact, stronger current
than is allowed by the city ordinances. In
fact. it would be dangerous TO life to have
higher voltage than is now carried by the
street railways. Even if the traction
companies would put on 90 extra cars
morning and evening it would be
at an expense that would wreck those cor
porations Besides it would be hard to get
men who would be willing to work that
way. L cannot see any remedy, though a
remedy is needed"
Other Allegheny residents seen did not
think the cars were quite so spacious. and
expressed themselves as very determined
that some way to obviate the erowding
should be provided.