The evening world., 1894-09-06
NEED OF CAR LAWS.
Legislature Should See that Over
crowdiug Is Stopped.
In European Cities Passengers Are
Well Provided For.
Public Welfare Here 10 Disregerded
for the sake of Money.

wrong In the system which permits tho
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 he to secure the
rights of the private citizen against the
encroaChmeut OF corporations created by
the State seem to have wholly
neglected the matter In this case, and
have permitted the street railroad COM
panics to treat passengers just as they
please All that they are compelled to do
is to run their cars without intcrmis-
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 a
certain number of cars or that they, shall
not allow more Than Il certain number OF
passengers to ride upon a particular car
The result Is 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
by crowding them to their utmost ca
pacity they can reap the greatest imam
cial harvest.
They have brought this system down
New York that they can calculate. al
most With absolute exactness. their
profits from week to week, and by run
ming a car or two less at one time of
day and pack in~ In the passengers a lit
tie more lightly at another they are able
70 keep up the average without any trou-
BILE.
In the public omnibuses and street
railway cars of London and Paris not
| 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 II. II
every seat Is occupied, the car will stop
tically he may hail 1t, neither the con-
ductor nor driver will take The slightest
| notice of him.
The, only way to remedy the evil here
would be to adopt similar practice
Those who have obtained seats in a
public conveyance and paid for their
| accommodation have right to enjoy
| to be bruised and trampled upon by
| the mob which Is permitted to occupy
| every inch OF standing-room almost az
| soon as the car has left its starting
point.
The discomforts of riding in the cable
cars In broadway are greatly aEgravat-
ed during the rush hours in addition to
crowdng.
The motormen seem to take delight in
starting up the cars with jerk when
they are packed, and every time they do
II the mass inside will surge backward
and then forward In a 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 Will get their knees well up
| ana be prepared to defend themselves
as best they can from the avalanche of
humanity that will be precipitated upon
| first curve.
| Those who are nursing favorite corns
will have to put their toes In their
| pockets IL they wish to escape a painful
| disaster The shock Is something ire
| mendous, and seems almost severe
| enough to throw the car from the track.
II is succeeded by a second one, which
| reverse curve Is reached, for no one Is
| able to regain his equilibrium in time to
| prepare himself for the second dose.
| On the Third Avenue cable road there
| has been some effort made TO give great
| er accommodation to passengers by run
| Ming double cars at intervals. But these
are evidently insufficient, and both
morning and night passengers are al
lowed to board the cars by the score
after all the seats are filled, and are
permitted to stand 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.