New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-12-12
TRANSIT PROBLEMS ABROAD.
yoroR-cARs IN ENGLAND-RESULTS OF
MUNICIPAL MANAGEMENT OF
TRAMWAYS.

in the United Kingdom. Inc COURSE "'
shorter one, the destination being oheeh mus,
Richmond, and although there was SUN go.
OF wind the carriages and cycles maue
time and there was not single =,
Last wear the horseess vehicles were NANNY Oh
French or American manufacture whereas q"
the carriages seen in this years procesSio" Meis
rraae IN england Apart from this practlcai
.yidence that the industry has been estaolsheu
IN England. the exhibition was not a remarhaoie
one There were no new principles OF consul u0
ton The motive power was either peioieNii -
electricity, and little had been done 10 uiiiii''A
the unpeasant vibratory motion whch mas GA
cited preiudce against this class OF seH-pro-
rened vehicles. The main Improvement was the
rsa ~ brakes by which they were more easily
managed and controlled
When the legislative restrictions upon 'he
oneration of automatic carriages were removed
n was predicted by many enthusiasts that there
,ouId he an immediate revolution in road trac-
tion and street traffic. year has elapsed ana
there are few signs Of the development OF TINS
oarr,aeA-nootor movement. A few electric cabs
ore seen in the streets of London, but they are
rararauv EMMY In crowded thoroughfares
there can be no saving Of time by the suos'i'u-
,ion ~ electricity or petroleum for CAB norse'
and the vibration of these self-propeHed 'ehicies
is UNPLEASANT Electric omnibuses nave not YET
appeared in regular operation. Parcei vans WIZ
petroleum motors have been introduced ~
few mercantile firms, but apparently more ~,
tho sake of attracting public attention anu VI
waking a reputation for energy and enterprise
than from motives Of economy. Indeed no APP
nreciable change has been effected IN the APP
nsarance Of the streets of London since the
massage of the act removing prohlpltlohs upon
the speed Of vehicles in streets and roads and
With he ed
The bus driver continues TO chirrup to his
horses and the cabby to flourish his whip ana
Neither the one nor the other is troubled with
x,.o;,,nes over his ultimate conversion into
mechanic doomed to operate lever or TO trim
a wick.
The notor-car has found an influential patron
IN the Controller of the Postoff1ce, who is ex-
perimenting with parcel vans In and out OF Lon
don. Several of these vehicles are now IN use
for transporting mail packages OF the parceis
post between Victoria Station ana the general
postofice, in st. Northumberland 1t is assert
ed that there Is a saving Of five minutes IN each
run between these two points; but the route Is
an unusually favorable one for oil-motors' since
they can run for the greater part OF the way
along the Embankment the widest ana least
crowded thoroughfare in London. 1t is prooaoie
ma, ou vans will be introduced tentatively in
DOStdl
lis and IN a few Of the provincial cities. The I'M
mense traffic of the parcels post In the uhlteo
Kingdom may be greatly facilitated by the gen.
eral use of motor-cars
The syndcates interested in the development
of this new industry report that the largest
demand for vehicles CT this class has come
from Scotland. where they are rapidly coming
into general use in rural districts In otner
sections of the United Kingdom attempts nave
been made to Introduce them as substitutes TOT
onnibuses cabs and vans and carriage with
an oil motor recently carried passenger lrohl
London to Glasgow at the rate of ten miles
an hour with an actual running time or forty-
EIGHT hours. exclusive of stops for meals and
sleep The horseless carriage is coming on IN
England. albeit slowly and with many halts
It's progress would be more rapid II there were
not a we'll grounded opinion that mechanical
invention has not yet exhausted its resources
and that there is a wide range for the improve
ment of vehicles now on exhibition at the fac
tories and in such parades as the one witnessed
here this week. Something has been done dur
ing the last year TO simplify the machinery ana
to cheaper the cost; but practical men hesitate
TO employ motor-cars for commercial purposes
when there are so many different types and me-
chanical contrivances, and the problem Of the
survival of the fttest is beset with so many
uncertainties
TOWN OWNERSHIP OF STREET RAILWAYS.
The municipal operation Of tramways in Glas-
gov is proving TO be a successful and remu
nerative policy. 1t was adopted three years ago
in consequence of the failure Of negotiations
with the tramWay companies for renewal Of
their leases on terms which would have yielded
large income to the city The corporation
had never surrendered the streets to the COM
panies but had laid the tracks and consequent
" owned them. When II decided 10 operate
the tramways branch OF the municipal SER
vice II offered TO purchase the cars, stables and
horses al reasonable price, provided the COM
panies would agree not to compete with 1t by
organizing omnibus lines. This guarantee was
refused, and the corporation was compelled to
provide new equipment of horses, cars and
buildings and TO organize a working force. The
service is now managed so efficiently and eco
nornically that the net profit during the last
year has been S416335 after all interest charges
on the investment in tracks and plant have
been met.
This is a handsome to turn into the
municipal treasury for the benefit of the tax
payers But economy Is not the only advantage
Of the new system OF municipal operation. The
fares have been reduced; workmen's half-penny
hours have been ordered: the have been
greatly improved; the operatives hours have
been shortened and their wages raised; and the
network Of connecting tramways has been ex-
banded in every direction Although II is a
municipal monopoly, the tramway service has
not been conducted for the sole purpose of re-
turning good margin OF profit to the town
treasury. Facilities of transit have been in
creased and cheapened: public comfort and
convenience have been promoted, and the griev-
ances OF operatives have been removed
The same policy OF municipal operation OF
tramways is succeeding in other towns, al
though the financial returns are proportlonately
smaller in consequence of numerical inferioritv
In nnniIlafinn In