New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-12-04
WORK DAILY TRIBUNE WEDNESDAY, EIGHTEEN PAGES

n. Hahn should engage in potential malpractice
Is most surprising. We cannot believe IT. Ii'S
onnorcnt wrongdCing is only concealed aiUuish'.
Nevertheless, it Is unfortunate that he shou'"
he so misunderstood.
Travellers have long grumbled about the o'iii
and farlng qualities Of the lights In the elevate"
trains. which are utterly inadequate for all the
purposes to which lamps are ordinarily put.
Rut since DIR. Hahn declared that the company
was well satisfied with them, and that he fouh"
their extremely mild radiance beneficial to the
eyesight. the public has accepted these smoky
instruments Of torture as blessings in disguise
though with sigh that they were blessings rem
dered wellnigh invisible by the depth OF ther
own shadows. This resignation is likely to be
interfered with by the charge that, while pre-
tending 10 do the best thing possible for our
good, DR.. Hahn has been violating the law en-
dangcring our lives and subjecting himself to
fine and Imprisonment by the use or an INFERIOR
quality Of OIL The statute forblds the use OF oil
on cars which will ignite at temperature De-
low 300 degrees Fahrenheit, yet 1t is admltteh
that the oil in the elevated trains Will only stahu
n test Of $50 degrees The legal standard was
established in view Of the extreme llaDiIity Oh
the low test oils to explode from the shaking OF
trains. But little thing like Il law does not
trouble the Manhattan Elevated Company III IL
did. there would be several miles less OF SIZE
tracks over the streets the expenditure for stor-
ageroom would have been greater, uptown
dweers might not have their views enli'eheu
by lines Of left standing at their 'front.' VIII
dows. If it obeyed the law and bought hIgh
grade oil, the dividends on each share OF STOCK
might be reduced as much as cents year, ana
that Is an outcome not to be faced SO long as
lick lasts and nobody gets blown up.
Let nobody think thar these illegal and seem
inrIy perverse actions are due 10 aVarlce OF
narrow mindedness All these things are done
for our good Suggest to the managers that they
must give up the public property they have taken
possession Of without authority, and the answer
will be that they will have to stop running
trains If il were suggested that the plan OF
turning incoming and outgoing passengers to-
gothor in onnosite streams at terminal stations
had been abandoned even by the Brooklyn eie-
waited roads the answer would be that New-1or
ers did not get enough exercise, and amateur
football practice did them good When the lamps
were objected TO their good effect on the eyes
was cited If somebody will now Try TO compei
them to obey the law concerning oil, we shall
doubtless hear marvellous tales Of the impossi-
bility Of getting standard oil. or OF It's smchin-
badly. or making an unhealthfu light, or an!
number of other lessons to show 1t is lmposSipie
10 run n railroad with IT, This is land OF
charitable enterprises. 1t abOunds IN hospi'ais
and homes but there is in II no other INSTITUTION
Of such unselfsh beneticence as that dlrecled
by DR.. Hahn Even the law will not stop us
good work for the souls and bodies OF all men,
and the pockets Of limited number