The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-02-01
SPEAKING ABOUT STREET CARS
The Council is Trying to Inn
prove the Service.
Do the Directors Have an Interest in
Cemeteries?
Remarlks by the Councilmen on the Sub
scot of Accommo Dis
cussion on the Matter.

The council is in dead earnest in its
attempt to compel the street railways OF
the city to furnish better service.
Some weeks ago a committee OF this
body was appointed upon a recon-.
mendation, which emansted from the
chamber of commerce, to Investigate
the street railways aud report.
Yesterday at the council meeting
Councilman Kingery, a mem Der of that
committee, brought the matter up to re-
port progress in behalf OF the commits
tee.
Personally, Mr.. Kingery considers the
cable cars as much OF menace to
Ihealth as defective sewers or thinga OF
that kind might be. women and
children ride in open cars" he said, sin
all sorts OF weather during the rainy
season cars where the floors and seats
J are saturated, and the cold, raw winds
come sweeping through, with nothing to
hinder save few hlapping curtains to
blow in the faces OF the passengers and
heighten the gloom"
Mr.. Kingery also alluded to the Main
street care not in complimentary way,
however. and, while not overlooking the
fact that the cars are little better than
travelling ice chests, he dwelt longer
upon the condition OF the track on Main
street.
MIR. Snyder spoke of the Temple street
car line. THE accommodations are not
bad" he said. until after Union avenue
| lie reached. Here the closed care are left
and those who ride further must take to
H. 4 l,o~
zephyr may play around and among the
shiverng forms of the hapless passen
gers many of whom are women and
children.
81 can only think of one reason why
this should be done this wsy and the
passengers compelled to submit to such
things" said Mr.. Snyder, land that 10,
that the directors of the company may
have an interest in the cty's cemeteries.
No better wsy to fill the cemeteries could
be devised in times of peace"
II got around to Mr.. Stockwell. and he
spoke of the half-hour service the con-
Bolidated company's cars are now giving
on Pasadena avenue. 1.-THE cars them
Selves" he said. would be disgrace to
any town of 1000 inhabitants. and why
the citizens OF Los Angeles should be
compelled to submit to this ia more than
l can see.'
Some of the members spoke of the
Kuhrts street line, where the cars run
every hour and 20 minutes Of the day,
but il was agreed that the company was
not necessarily to blame for this condi-
ton of circumstances.
When it came to Mr.. Munson's turn,
he took pleasure in reading extracts
from recent decision rendered by
Judge Gaynor in Brooklyn, an OUT
growth of the great strike there. The
decision, Mr.. Munson said, seems to
bear directly upon this issue.
Judge Gaynor holds that the street
car companies are, in measure, public
servants entrusted with public SER
vice--that of transporting the public to
and fro. The public has granted street
car companies certain privileges which
are valuable, and in return the oomDa-
nice have promised to accommodate the
public. A failure to do this is q viola
tion of the law, and the company can be
compelled by law to furnish ample aos
commodations at all times.
There was no action taken by the
council, but general discussion of the
matter made it apparent that the coun-
Gil intends adopting drastic measures
and compelling street car com panies to
furnish good accommodations.
Mr.. Kingery gave an instance of the
kind OF accommodations now offered, by
saying ne had made trip to the uni
yersity and back, waiting on q corner 20
] minutes for q car and then boarding one
which already carried 120 passengers by
actual oount.