New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-08-28
TWO srRrrr RnLROlD REpORTS.

We uuhlishcd the other day cOmpcndiouS
SYNOPSIS of thc annual report of the Brooklyn
Rapid Transit Company. That is corporation
controlling the most extensive system Of city
street railroads n the world and is under n
more than ordinarily enlightened ana progress
eive management We may say that it repre-
SCENTS private operation Of public franchises at
ifs best estate The ycar is seen 10 have been
ON the whole good one for the company. Inc
lines have been vastly extended. the properly
has been improved. the fixed charges have been
largely reduced and the handsome surplus OF
S453lG7 f, reported This latter is not how
ever. I'D be distributed i'm dividends but ap-
piled 10 further bcttcrmcnt~. 50 far the re-
port That document does NOT add. what the
public can tmthfully add from observation ana
pXporlcncc That fine employees of the company
suffer from oycrwork and undcrpay. and That
tlo patrons of tie various lines suffer lnuch
from needless ovcrcrowdmg too long intervals
between cars and lack OF cleanliness ana order
I'm those vehicles I'm brief. we have the spec
taclc of this gigantic concern using public prop
crfv and public franchises Of inostmabl" value
for ifs own selfish benefit That is not an I'M
common spectacle II IT, inlced. 50 familiar
rs generally 10 pass without remark That Is
as we have sail. private street railroad owner
ship ~ IT'S best estate.
We published. IN interesting coincidence
few DAYS ago "a letter from Our London CORE
spoudcnt reviewing the results of five years
of municipal ownership and management OF
street railroads I'm Glasgow. Glasgow is not
of course. rs large a> Brooklyn. and It's street
railroad system s much smaller than mat "i
our great transporting borough. But il was
the first important municipality i'm the htrd
Kingdom 10 undertake the work in question:
and may properly serve as an example Of mu-
nfcipal ororaton Of street railroads NJ us best
estate. Let MS sec what 1T has 90 report There
has. ms m Brooklyn been extension OF lines
and Improvement of plant. There has been
increase Of profits, until last year there was
a surplus of SELLS 10 the good. As In Brook
lvu. that is not to be turned in rs dividends to
tle city. but applied 10 the sinking fund. Elrc-
tric traction is being introduced. ana Will re-
suit n. largo economies. When that is effected
and the sinking fund oXtnguishes the indebted
ness the city VIII have line yearly revenue
from the system by the way. the mileage OF
thc Glasgow lines Is only about one-tweltih
of That of Brooklyn. but the Glasgow surplus
WIS more than onc-fourth as large as that OF
Brooklyu: proportionatcly. therefore, more than
three times as large So much for the purely
financial aspects of the case
Now LET MS look at the other features such
q. those which We have said the public of
Brooklyn might report upon When the city
took hold of tine Glasgow lines the employees
had to work fourteen hours day and buy
their uniforms and got only 50 - week with
no holidays Now they work only ten hours
"a dav. with one full day off iu seven and extra
holid9vs for aH who have served year or
more. their uniforms are supplied 10 them
gratis and They get 81 week. The men are
so we'll satisfied that they not only do NOT talk
of striking. but do not even maintain trade
union. As for the service rendered to the
patrons of the road we are told that the cars
are clean and orderly. they are run on short
hcadway. oycrcrowdug is unknown. and the
fare is So low that onc-third Of the passengers
+ are carried for cont apiece These latter de
tails may not greatly appeal 10 ihc officers and
. stockholders of private corporations not even
10 those of brooklyn Rapid Transit But they
I should aud will appeal strongly to every
thoughtful private citizen who takes an interest
IN the general welfare We do not say that The
contrast between Glasgow and Brooklyn fur
nishos a final and convincing argument i'm
favor Of municipal ownership of street rail
roads But we believe it does prove pretty
conclusiyely that the public of This city has a
right to require better service on The street
railroads than il now gets. aud that the cor
poratlons honestly managed. could give far
better service and stin make as much money
for themselves rs Brooklyn Rapid Transit now
seem, 90 Dee making.