The evening world., 1894-09-06
NEED OF CAR LAWS.
Legislature Should See that Over
crovding Is Stopped.
In European Cities Passengers Are
Well Provided For.
Public welfare Here Is Disregarded
for the Sake of Money.

lHtTt tlubt Dt tDtl1tlUlHk
wrong in the system which permits the
street railroad companies to crowd their
cars as they do in New York City,
Ignoring the rights of the travelling
public and daily subjecting their patrons
TO the most extreme discomfort and
annoyance.
In fact the legislative authorities
whose duty 1t should be to secure the
rights of the private citizen against the
encroachment Of corporations created by
the State seem to have wholly
neglected the matter In this case. and
have permitted the street railroad com
panies to treat passengers just as they
please. All that they are compelled to do
Is to run their cars without intermis-
sion, and pay their taxes, but there the
supervision of the government ends;
There Is no law or regulation which
provides that the companies shall run
certain number OF cars or that they shall
not allow more than certain number of
passengers to riie upon particul ar car.
The result IL that these corporations, In
their inordinate greed for wealth. their
continued effort to increase their enor-
nous profits. and their utter disregard
of public opinion and public comfort in
accomplishing this end, Will only operate
the fewest number of cars possible that
by crowding them to their utmost ca
cial harvest.
They, have brought this system down
to such "A fine point, 1t would seem, in
New York that they can calculate, al
most with absolute exactness, their
profits from week to week, and by run
ming car Or two less at one time of
day and packin~ In tle passengers a lit
tie more lightly at another they are able
TO keep up the average without any trou-
In the public omnibuses and street
railway cars OF LONDON and Pa rio
single passenger beyond the regular
carrying capacity of such a bus or car
Is permitted to get aboard;
Every passenger who pays his fare is
entitled to seat and he gets it. If
every seat is occupied, the car will stop
for no one, and no matter how fran
ductor nor driver will take the slightest
notice Of him.
The only way to remedy the evil here
would be TO adopt a similar practice.
Those who have obtained seats in a
public conveyance and paid for their
accommodation have a right to enjoy
the ordinary comforts of travel, and not
to be bruised and trampled upon by
the mob which is permitted to occupy
every inch OF standlng-room almost as
soon as the car has left its starting
point.
The discomforts Of riding In the cable
cars In Broadway are greatly aggravat-
ed during the rush hours, in addition to
those which result directly from over
The motormen seem to take delight in
starting up the cars with a jerk when
they are packed, and every time they do
II the mass Inside will surge backward
and then forward in manner that
threatens to crowd those in the rear over
the platform rail and send those forward
crashing through the glass doorway in
front.
The worst place Of all Is at the double
curve at Fourteenth street, where the
tracks round the southern end OF Union
square. If those who are seated are
wise they viii get their knees well up
and be prepared to defend themselves
AS best they can from the avalanche OF
humanity that will he precipitated upon
| them as soon as the wheels strike the
| first curve.
Those who are nursing favorite corns
will have to put their toes in their
| pockets II they wish to escape a painful
| disaster The shock IL something ire
| mendous, and seems almost severe
| enough to throw the car from the track.
| II is succeeded by second one which
Is more severe than the first. when the
reverse curve is reached, for no one is
| prepare himself for the second dose.
on the Third Avenue cable road there
has been some effort made 10 give great
| er aCcOmmoda ton to passengers by run
| niEg double cars at interN ais. But these
are evidently insufficient, and both
morning ana night passengers are al
| lowed to board the ears by the score
after all the seats are filed, ard are
permitted to star d In the spaces between
the cross seats until every inch OF
room Is occupied, and those who have
| secured seats are doubled up into the
most uncomfortable and Cramped posi-
| tons during the entire trip.