The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-10-08

| In an interview published in the Morn
ing News yesterday, Capt. Johnston, su-
| perintendent Of the City and Suburban
railroad. is quoted as saying that savan-
nah is about the only city in the country
Of any size where street cars stop for
7 passengers between streets. and where
| passengers Chamber on whenever they
can. He also said that in New Orleans
cars do not stop for passengers who stand
on the left side Of she street.
These regulations in other cities for the
| government of streets cars are made and
enforced for a good purpose. Capt. john
ston appears to recognize the benefit Of
them. Why. then. are they not adopted
in this city? Is it because the city au-
thorities do not insist they shall, and that
the street railroads are not disposed TO
make any reforms unless they are COM
| PEELED to do so? II this is not the reason.
what is it?
As far as we are able TO Judge, the city
! authorities do not appear to exercise
much authority in respect to the street
railroads. The roads are permitted to do
pretty much as they please. and some Of
the things they do. judging from what
Capt. Johnston says, are not for the good
Of the roads.
We are certain that good results would
follow a regulation permitting cars to
stop for passengers only at the intersec-
ton Of streets. For several years the
| people have been trying to improve the
grass plats in front of their residences.
| They meet with many discouragements.
mainly for the reason that the city au-
thorities give them very little encourage
ment in the way Of compelling people to
keep Off the grass. a car is permitted to
| stop in the middle of a block, and dozen
or more people get off and reach the side
walk by tramplng the grass Of the grass
/ plats. The same is true in respect to
people who hail car in the middle Of
block and cross the grass plats in order
to reach it. If the cars We're permitted to
stop only at street crossings, the grass
| plats to a great extent, would be pre-
served. On Liberty street the residents
complain that their efforts to keep the
grass plats in good condition are multi
fled by people who run over the plats in
reaching or leaving the cars.
The regulation requiring passengers to
take the cars on the right side of the
street is a good one. If the motorman
has to keep a lookout for passengers on
only one side he can give more attention
to his car.
There are other matters relative to the
control Of the street railroads in the city
to which the city authorities could give
their attention with benefit to the city.
For instance, no car ought to be per-
mitted to stop and stand on street cross
ings thus compelling pedestrians who
want to cross the street either to wait
until the car moves on or to go around the
car. it not infrequently happens that
the crossing at the corner of Whitaker
and st. Julian streets is blocked. When
the pavement is taken up in setting up
new poles it ought to be put back in as
good condition as it was before it was dis
turbed. If the city authorities will take
the trouble to investigate the pavements
where they have been taken up they viii
find, in some cases, that the work of put
ting them back has been badly done.
Capt. Johnston has opened the way for
the council to make some radical reforms
in the running Of the electric cars.