New-York tribune., 1899-03-27
TWO RATES or FARE.

Tho Rrooklyn Rapid Transit Company IS coh-
siderjng a scheme for first and second ciaSS P'S
sagos 70 Conev Island. This division OF traNci
lers 10 the seashore may perhaps arouse 'is IL
of n few preachers Of inaliepable eQuall'!' pu'
q will certainly add TO the pracucal comfort
and happiness of the patrons OF the roa"' we
arc nv no means certain that the general wei
fare would not he promoted by TWO rates VI
fore on other railroads. The congestion OF tial-
tc is such on the elevated lines that any doupie
set of accommodations j. probably hopeless io'
nj least long time 10 come. hu' there : noun
ing in orr institutions to forbid such an ar
rangement II it were practicable problem Oh
railroading.
We hear a great deal about equality ara the
right of every man 10 the enjoyment OF the
same car as every other man. Bu, there IS
nothing in the writings OF Thomas Jefferson Cr
In the Constitution of the United States wnich
enions the citizen 10 permit his toes 10 fe 'rod
upon and 10 subject himself and his wife 10 pro
miscuous mauling in public conyeyanceS as
part of his duty to democracy Iner> is
school of demagogues which regards al privacy
ms aristocratc and all regard for personal clean
illness as snobbishneSs. But it IS not popular
even with those whose passions il tries TO
arouse The present crush of locai and subur-
ban traffic makes travel AZ certain hours OF the
day utterly impossible with any comfort-We
might almost say. with any decency. woman
NAV have the utmost simplicity of character
and democracy of feeling without wishing to be
embraced and paved over 10y more than dozen
strange men in the course Of ride uptown.
And this may be- though the men bc quite in
nocent of intentional dlscourteSy. They are
hacked Ike sardines into box. and when one
wants TO get out he has TO do 1t by wggnng
and struggling among the mass of his fellow
travellers, embracing this one and knocking over
that one. Temper. clothes. comfort cleanliness,
are all at the mercy of the crowd.
II anv plan could be devised by which for the
payment of double or even triple fare person
could secure a ride without being subject to
such discomfort and indgnty, people who ride
in both classes Of cars would be the gamers.
The traffic diverted from the cheaper cars would
make more room for the comfort of those who
take them while the extra fare for the other
cars would probably more than pay the addl-
,onal cost OF hauling them. Then women VINO
have 10 travel I'm the crowded hours could do so
without subjccting their clothes TO damage and
themselves TO manhandling. II person wants
more room in a ear than he can get for hve
cents there is no reason why he should not have
IL by paying more. The man whose clothes are
soled by his work is generally as reluctant TO
90 where he has TO brush against other people
as they are 10 have him. and welcomes car
which frees him from the necessity. The Amer
;can laborer is n selfrespecting man who values
comfort and privacy as much as anybody. NO
body objects TO the parlor and sleeping cars on
the steam railroads. The traveller for short
distance may with prOpriety desire CORE
spending privilege for a reasonable outlay, ana
others will not grudge him the luxury.
Just at present our transit facilities do not
seem adequate 10 any such experiment but their
future development might well be undertaken
with the idea OF two-class cars in mind. The
London underground roads have cars Of three
classes, and republican Paris has tramcars ana
buses with seats Of different prices. Each per
son pays for the accommodation his convenience
dictates. Perhaps the person who has left his
work in greasy overalls by third-class car:
riage at one hour will take better carriage an
hour later. and neither think himself the worse
for taking one nor the better for taking the other
1t IL not question Of social relations at all