The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-06-21


stances 10 three times as much.
Tie railroads have never discovered
thai II = possible TO sake 40 tickets On the
trains. hence the passengers are locked IN
the cars. 70 prevent any az them stealing
ride. and when they arrive al their sta,ien
are hustled out through . turnss.ie and
men; on this system. a grea, genius az
enc tine hit upon the plan OF stopping the
train outside az the station for ten minutes
70 col.sc. the tickets. ana then 80 through
sae station without unnecessary delay.
Tickets can be hoEgh, at only enc place.
ana thai Is az the aepofs. Anybody at
tempting 70 ride without ticket !:
promptly hustled on 10 Jail, no matter II
he has money 80 pay his fare The
only man competent TO accept money =
established .; he dsposs. 80 i, IL useless
cash payment There are no ticke, Offices
located downtown. and Ii you want 10 &c
any place yosa have TO appear In person a,
he station before the Train starts
In handling freight the oficsai manage
mens has not yet discovered tho; cars hav-
ing roofs can De operated. Many Of the
cars nave sides about two feet hign, but no
roofs; tarpau.in Is Used Il takes from TWO
TO four men 20 haul these ponderous covers
over the car. especially when they are
wes. They are iugged over the top and
tied down with ropes 70 the side The
freight cars have q capacity Of about two
ana = half tons. although a few OF the
largest can carry as much - nYe tons.
Fifteen or twenty Of these cars make a
means Of stopping the train from any o.
the coaches. once the train 10 started. for
tell ropes extending through the cars are
matter OF nifty years hence.
All these and more lamensabie condi-
lions exist with regard 10 the street car
systems The roads IN Sydney are owned
that they are the worst in the world. In
the main part OF the city the line extends
along only che street. 80 people wishing 10
ger 10 the suburbs are forced to walk clear
s-fgx ira ~
they can reach the line. As sydney II a
hlily place. this is all the harder. II is a
matter frequently Of lie and death TO &c,
intervals along the route. forcing passen-
gers to embark at the stations. And they
must not forget the formality Of providing
s me wish ti:ksta else they are ia
depot and force yourself through q con-
gested. struggling mass OF intending pas
sengers TO buy your ticket. You may no,
KNOW where YOU want 10 go. you may
perhaps wish 10 so on pleasure trip
through the suburbs. without any definite
destination, but you have 10 have a ticket
same. Well. you have your ticket and
then you have to make rush tor the car
that VIII take YOU YOU know not where.
and Ugh, again through the rush Of people
conmodasion Of the car. before YOU can get
aboard
Outrageous Service.
And such cars, Steam dummy locomo-
tives that start with snort and jerk that
almost breaks your back. and that cannot
be hauled up under two minutes notice.
They rush over the road. ruthleesiy piow-
ing down COW or pevon OK anything else
that happens 10 be IN the way. People
always rush out Of the street when they
hear a street train coming. for they know
from cad experience the peril Of being In
the same block.
The passenger carriages are two stories
h uk vx-tsk r..ss> q.
weather you can travel only on one side
the lee side. without getting soaked. AZ
they cannot stop without due notice. they
n never. at,emp, g haul up e.eeps a, certain
ranger sar., Wishing to pasron.,s them mus ss
out where he wishes 20 go. before he
shle 70 and out where q car goes. The
only notice on the car Is O small hoard on
ne end Oh which = printed the name OF
s5e terminus II you want 20 SO 10 New
town. for instance, ~ou take the car mark
the train passing through Ncwtown; su,
certain to miss three or Sonr ~" cars before
tell him
street railways: Suppose you desire TO go
10 Botany bay. a distance OF about three
and a ha.s miles. you have to buy three
tickets. which are taken up at a. many
thTi'pence g cents, making total Of IS
cents for riding distance OF less than four
miles. The cars cannot stop when they
are going down hin. The stations are To-
Gated IN come cases half a mile apart ana
never nearer than a quarter OF a mile
In summing up the government ownership
matter. which In discussed as a problem in
this country, Mr.. Sawksns continued. 1T
Ia an amazing fact that although there Is
no competition and the government charges
exorbfAnt fares. the ma cement rarely
ivs fV&rfA
TO pay interest on the debt contracted In
their construction. let alone pay operating
expenses. There IL nothing the matter with
the enterprise OF these people fer they
ave more tran cnce demonstrated their
capacity for development and for handling
large financial and Industrial problems. bu,
ing 10 the government stFsseyn. Government.
defes opposition. opposition means I'm
orcverent and development. Tnh system
sas established In Australia fifty years
age. and as there has been no competition
there IS no Improvement.
Old. Worn-ouf stock.
They are gradually introducing Amer
lean cars on The iinrs bat as I, takes fcrty
wars 20 wear out the old stock. these cars
being bought now wilt BE- correspond n2iy
much behind the times as tire original
stock. In Australia there was originally
grca, difficulty experienced in getting ner
reads through. owing 10 me engineering
ssass "a - accomplished When the CON-
kft N1F INV sFfEsrzts rrItIof1S Gffta fpi&fifffS
= dollars was sPsnt upcn macaia-nixsi
lads. the more heinz borrowed tn Lon
6on a, from, 20 Per cent. interest. These
rsads were fnsi ahou; gotten into good con-
S.tlon 50 the people could use them when
the authorities started ;heir railroad s1iid-
ing alongside Of them The resssi, is that
rrae has grown up aiong she roads, The
water ia. waAlsed them cat. and the psopls
are now paying interest millions ~
collars the only visible return Of which they
have IL this useless DEVELOPMENT.
They cannot improve the service. be-
cause the country political - divided Into
facssons the same az here. Whenever ore
government party talks about contracting
a debt 10 improve the service. ell tho OPP
rcreHts rush up With loud cry. and hey
have 70 stop or they will gn cut OF Sffsce,
J. "a constrsssi vranKIe The main rail-
-eSat Ae-o. In S~'rey is aS<sss a mile srSrn
IRE ~harvse ard all the people living IN
the suburbs ara forced IN gcsuT 10 town
- transfer their h~ionxirxs from the rail-
~rsi 10 the street carriages ~ Rrsfgrn. The
~.~,Ssr1 or else wsfk into iewr There was
saNk few wears acs about contracting
sseAt AMI getting ftsDot size in ire lawer
part - the city. rEst tire opposition ~ss 40
s.rss. that re prote~s has 81 hs shsnacn-
- 80 there xau'd have beer Esoisical
cverturnIaS % the government"
WashfnGfon.s Riches
g. 49,