The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-12-08
The Trolley Accumulation.

Ihe trolley Accumulation.
We present today an array of plain
unvarnished facts regarding the
trolley car service on the Greenville
and Monticello avenue lines. 1t,
should make the the managers of the
Consolidated Traction Company
tingle with shame.
Not content with giving an unsatis-
factory service during the busy norm
ing and evening hours, a failure for
which they plead the excuse that they
have not yet been able to secure a
large enough number of cars, they
deliberately and wilfully give an
atrociously bad service during all the
other hours of the day, by laying up
the greater number of the cars they
have and running the remaining few
on Roadway of from fifteen to twenty
minutes.
There is only one conceivable
motive for this policy--a miserable
short-sighted economy. If it is pur-
sued much longer, it is going to be
the ruin of the city and the company
will find out the mistake it has made,
when too late.
The matter contained in the long
article in our news columns is not
rethoric. Its not a fancy picture.
1t is not even a tissue of
g~eneralities. 1t is a cold recital of
hard facts. There is not one state
ment in it which car be discounted or
disputed.
For two days, one of the most skill
full and most conservative reporters of
The NEWS staff has been stationed
at the Junction. He has chosen five
separate hours as representing the
average of the days travel, outside
the rush hours. The hours selected
were
1890 to ii. 80 on the night of We'd
nesday. the 9th.
$50 to 10. 80 in the forenoon of yes
terday, Thursday, the 18th.
1890 to 100 in the afternoon of yes
terday, Thursday. the 18th.
7.30 to $50 in the evening of yester-
day, Thursday. the 18th.
1890 to 1.30 this morning, Friday,
the 9Th.
In his report he gives an exact
statement OF every trolley car which
passed the Junction ia every direc-
ton. His schedule shows that the
failure to accommodate the public
was, in all five of these periods,
simply shameful.
His observations from $50 to 10. 80
yesterday morning and from 7.30 to
$50 last night show just wherein the
trouble lies. The very moment the
acute rush is I'VE the company begins
to withdraw cars. In the morning
hour, the schedule shows the cars
coming up from the ferry outnumber
those going down to it by at least
three to one. Yet this is an hour
when good accommodation is badly
needed. Many men are still on their
way to business and the movement Of
the shoppers has just begun.
The evening hour from 7.30 to s. 80
shows a corresponding state of things
although this is the period when the
theatre and entertainment goers are
abroad.
In one word. the Oldest inhabitant
cannot remember the time when the
much abused Jersey City and Bergen
Company gave such abominable SER
vice as this. and much as they used to
abuse it, the people would now be
glad to have it back.
We draw Mayor Wanser's attention
to the prevailing contempt of the
puolic's rights. We ask him is there
no step he ear take to compel the
company to give as good accommoda-
tion as its means will allow, that is to
cay, about ten times as good as what
it actually does give.
The Street and Water Board Exposure.
There has not been the least doubt
in the public mind any time the last
three years that the five members of
the Street and Water Board, together
with many Of their allies and hang