New-York tribune., 1896-01-19
\IGUT car SERVICE.

Few complaints can be made about the quail
i,v Of the elevated and street railway service
I'm this civ which will not b. answered by the
assertion that the conditions imposed 10y the
city mr. the laws Of Nature interfere with the
comuonic,' unscltish wish to benefit mankind.
The Manhattan Company thirsiS with all It's
generous soul 10 rum faster trains. but narrow
minded popuace object 10 lis laying third and
fourth tracks over the streets. II would lk" To
run more frequent trains but the city will not
surrender lis parks 10 increase terminal facill'
tics and there IS II minimum limit 10 the safe
he,dwav of trains II would like to improve
the lighting OF It's cars but scientific lamp
making Is in So crude condition that IL can ma
nothing better than It's present system, which
might not tomorrow seem out OF dat'. some
surface roads would he glad To heat their ears
I'm winter but, really. there Is no carh'a''r that
is any good. and besides it is not healthy Tor
passengcrs to Sit in warm ears in their winter
clothes Car-fcndcrs are highly desirable to turn
aside the lettering pedestrian and keep the
track from being made slippery with gore, hut
no such device has yet been perfected. The city
nupht Ia have n larger revenue in return for the
nrotitablc privileges it bcstows, but. sad to re-
late. legislation has too frequently csncted in
ADEQUATE compcnsataion ana the courts nave
upheld the lawmakers and the companies are
powcrlcss. for surely nobody would ask them to
violate the law about their contributions to the
city treasury.
Altogether the transportation companies have
"A hard time in their attempts to perform their
duty to the public The public Itself, the lcgS-
lature the courts. the Common Council. the
procession Of the equnoXes and the rule of three
all conspire 10 block their benevolent plans.
Yet there remains one boon which they are free
10 bestow. only they have not thought Of II in
their absorption in trying to do the things they
cannot do That boon Is night cars-not ears
that stand at the terminals, bui ears that actual
" start move and travel. and take a man to
his destination approximately aS soon as II he
had covered the distance on foot. There is no
law 10 prevent such service. and II Is one To
which the city is entitled. The running OF the
surface and elevated roads is an enormously
profitable business. The franchises granted
for the benefit Of the whole community. and
the hundreds who find it necessary to travel
at night are entitled to reasonable consideration
rs much as the thousands who travel by day
The fact that the night ears do not pay expenses
| Is no excuse for rot running them. Many post
0filcrs do not pay expenses, Dut 'n'v are kept
! up just the same. The duty Of caring for local
traffic Is single duty which may not be divided
The profitable traffic carries with II the unproft
able traffic The benefit Of the one may not be
| claimed without the burden Of the other one
must take the bones with the meat Under com
| pusion our lines now give an apology for night
| service but 1t is only an apology. 1t is not just
| to compel the army of night workers in this city
| to make g;hy waits for surface ears and
| elevated trains. The chance 10 catch ear twice
or thrice an hour Is not adequate service for
| them. With more reason than many day travel
! lcrs they may ask the opportunity to get home