New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-08-23
REAR PLATFORM MANNERS.
EFFORTS OF THE CABLE COMPANY TIC
SECURE POLITE CONDUCTORS.

yEsTIGATIoN OF COMPLAINTS.
"you can't expect drawing room department In
barroom and It is unreasonable to look for SIN
| umbrella In a hve-cent prize package
That was the comment OF a street RAILWAY o''
to whom a sufferer complained about the ruue''1.
OF the conductors city street railway ca'''
was said that the railway corporations ihahe 81"
efforts to employ only such men as are We" re-.
commended. and whose looks, demeahor anu p"'
history are I'm their favor. 49,. .
"In n great corporation like the Metropo"'d"
said President II. H. vreeland. men VINO are u,'-
fitted for the place Of conductor are pounu " e"p
In occa sionally, but II their SHORTCOMINGS arc
ported to us their places Will soon DC hiieu oy -
ter men We must know that man IL i"oo"''
netent or unworthy before can Giscnarge hii"'
and must rely upon the pa'rons VI o'' ~
information that score ~
In order 10 insure politeness on the part oi '"e
conductors a general rule on that SUBJECT mas oe."
incornorated I'm the little book OF when every .o'
ductor receives a copy when ne enters '"e '"''
mont Of the company The rule reads'
''Emplcyes are hereby Informed that t'es "'
oured by these rules by their own '''c'u.. aa
bv tho interests Of the company to be ponte anu
,,or,,o In all intercourse with passengers anu
IT, o,nn,oves Under no circumstances must any
at,,,a With passenger another empiose pe
entared into no matter what proVoca'oh Il s''
II reouIres two to make dispute an" Il"
how unrea soma BILE or abusive pe'so" ' :,
"a no, TO be replied to in kind, ana no "'s "
70 be had Strict propriety OF con"uc, anu F ono
t,ye avoidance OF profane indie cent language are
required" - ,o mart
~ Tho company. complaints on the part VI '"o
riding nublic are so frequent. ana cases Vi So
misconduct on the part Of conductors occur a. -.
shor, intervals that some people are incnheu ~
beIieve that the wcll-worded warnings are e''p''
words In the eyes of the conductors 1870, -,
The practice of ringing two bells az se""' "
,ar, rho car before passengers have mad chanoe
N ston on or off a car has caused mnch co'ip,"'"
and although many people nave oe." co.,
through the perncious practice ana oeS','' Wv
that the railway authorities have sent c'rcu''i
ters to their superintendent "ar""s 49, -, tho
NO dangers attending the premature starts '',e
,rac,,ce continues and every few days pe'so" 10
IN iured or narrowly escapes bodily harm'
o., ,horo ora cases also where the feelings OF
Messenger suffer at the hands OF an "'S
ductor and many woman wouln nav 49,.
cononlaint against A conductor FOR pems
,r,ivo about helping her on the ear bnt io' ',,'
s ,h,, tho matter might become one OF Pnp"c
.,o .1r such a case" said a woman VINO hau
an ,nnleasant experience. there Is apSo'""H ~
redress | would not go to the ohicerS 81 wv t
many and make complaint and run the 'iSN VI nv
ing the loafer conductor add Insult u "'''
declaring nv statement false. But man S"ou'u
not be employed on u Puo"O
no idea Of decency. , !,
rben there Is the funny conductor WHO 'n "
LIGHT in guying his passengers, II ne 'n'"NS -" .,s
o,rear "smart' in the eyes OF those VINO eH'"f -
oi,eged humor one Of the funny klhd Is '"ii"oS
- ,ho Iexington-ave line. a short time ago
w noordod q car at Fifty-eghth-st ana lIeNlhe
w ard SAT- near the rear door Az fi'N
'., g, rho conductor passed through the car anu
,onod 70 see the fve-cent piece "hi'" vi, r,.
r mold ont toward him. As he returned '''o"e
the car the passenger offered MS lar ,,
rn, limo # was seen by the conductor VINO S"'u
inns 'I'"' go roeister bell THAT was lapse OF
conscience. 49, 49,, or asked indig-
what did you say '
nantly. o,, loud enough that
all IN the car could hear. lha' was
a,so,orca and then he walked TO the pi'',o' H.
s., ,,o ,rsulted passenger and threw PACK Ms
18th collaboration so that the NUMBER VI HE
IT'D could be seen without dithcwty'
Another disagreeable conductor Is "e VIZ VIZ, .,
under the head of smart lhere 10 IT., .,
men of his class on the crossto"" ""'' '
a'onod himself smart to passenger ie" "ayS
ID a. tho case has been investigated as tile
srD,ol. eoid II would be. he has received repii-
rond ~ least by this time. passenger so' ~,
Tho "srart" conductors car AT fHN-nH1",S'' an"
Xinth-ave The was going west anu '"u 20
so,per asked: Does this car go south u" i'"'"
ave. . ord tho
conductor and rang up the fare
1yhor ,be car came 70 Tenth-ave., one DOCK
from where the nquiring passenger got ABOARD "
stopped and the conductor said: All out mere
this car don't go no further.
..pu, Won told me the would take me 10
,-,,,,,bird-st and Tenth-ave.' demonstrated the
passenger , ,,.
THAT don't make no difference-we am I soi,'s
no further. and you'll have to git out. Iheh ne
and the driver and the group of employees on .le
corner laughed at the passenger WIN p"iu NV
cents TO ride one block.
occasionally a case of positive brutality occurs
ON streetcar which Is apt to shatter ones belief
I'm the sincerity of the officials because 1t would
seem that no man could be guilty of such con-
due; who had passed the rigorous INSPECTION 10 10
applicants for positions one OF these eNlr. me
cases took place on ETY. 81, Gar door, M
of "A crowded car was about TO leave the car by
the front door when the conductor demonstrated
and said that she must go out of the other door
The woman insisted on passing through me door
nearest TO her and 10y that means avoid going
through the crowded car. but the conductor was
equally determined that she should not. and he
TO push her to the exit But his brutality
was of no avail. for the woman LEFT the ear by
sympathized with her and were convinced of the
which women and children ride. there was no one
to make a complaint and the man m has possibly 10Y,
continue 70 do 80 until his conduct Is reported to
T. must he said that all complaints are investiga ted
and men are reprmanded suspended or discharged
as the conditions Of the may demand In speak
Ing on the subject Mr.. Nreeland said:
I'm these times of financial depression con-
duciors recruited from superior class and we
have the pick from large number OF applicants.
many of whom have been employed in higher walks.
Before a man Is employed he Is compelled 70 til, out
an application blank on which he gives his name,
present address residence former place of residence
trade or occupation. by whom last employed. by
whom previously employed their addresses his birth
place, age II married. single or wilOwer how long
ont OF employment and If he any kind OF liquor
as a beverage. etc. All these questions answered
by the applicant and then persons sent by the com
pany to verify the statement II all is found correct
the mans name is placed on waiting list and when
his turn comes he receives notice TO appear for as
signment He Is placed on duty under the supervision
Of a competent and H. after few DAYS. he Is
reported having done his work In satisfactory
manner, he becomes conductor and his name is