The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 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 Is Disregarded
for the Sake of Money.

There must be something radically
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
not allow more than a certain number of
passengers to ride upon particular car.
The result Is that these corporations, In
tneir inordiaate greed for wealth. their
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
pacity they can reap the greatest finan-
cial harvest.
to such fine point, 1t would seem, in
New York that they can calculate, al
most With absolute eXactness; their
ming car or two less at one time Of
Day and packin" In the passengers a lit
tfe more lightly at another they are able
to Keep up the average without any trou-
BILE.
In the public omnibuses and street
| railway cars OF London and Paris not
| IA single passenger beyond the regular
| carrying capacity of such bus or car
| Is permitted to get aboard.
| Every passenger who pays his fare is
entitled to seat, and he gets 1t. If
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 a similar practice.
| Those who have obtained seats in a
pubic conveyance and paid for their
the ordinary comforts of travel and not
| to be bruised and trampled upon by
| the mob which Is permitted to occupy
every inch of standing-room almost as
| point.
The discomforts of riding in the cable
| cars IN broadway are greatly aggravat-
| ed during the rush hours. in addition to
crowding
| 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
ana then forward in IL 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 we'll ur
as best they can from the avalanche OF
| humanity that will be 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 painful
disaster. The shock is something ire
mendous. and seems almost severe
| enough to throw the car from the track
1t liz succeeded by "A second one, which
IL more severe than the first, when the
| reverse curve is reached, for no one |.
able to regain his equilibrium in time tC
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. Hut these
are evidently insufficient, and bott
morning and night passengers are al
lowed to board the cars by the score
after all the seats are filled, ard 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 tn,
most uncomfortable and cramped posi-
tons during the entire trip.