The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-12-26

STREET CAR ABUSES.
The subject of street railway admins
tration and service has been one of gen
eral interest among the people of this city
for many years past. At times the pub
lie becomes insistent on some one or
other demand, and then public sentiment
gets aroused, only to die out after some
present disposition is made of the exist
ing difficulty. Each section and class re-
CARDS exclusively its own interests or
what it regards as its own. There is
practically no class or section to look
after the interest of all.
1t is one of the most instructive facts
relating to the conduct of street rail-
roads. with especial reference to the
rights of the public, that the two Ameri-
can cities in which the matter of fran
chise ownership is in the least satisfac-
tory condition for the owners of the
stock in the street railways are ahead
of all others both in the facilities which
are offered to the public and in the rea-
sonableness of the fares charged The
other side Of the proposition is also true.
that as a rule the cities in which the
operating corporations have the biggest
"cinch" on the public the people get least
in the way Of satisfactory service and are
charged most for it,
The uniform 5-cent fare prevails
generally. There are cities which charge
more and others which charge less But
where the franchise. owners find them
selves independent of the public the high
er fares usually prevail; while in those
where the franchises may revert at short
periods to the public the lower fares are
found to prevail.
In Boston and Washington street car
service has reached the highest level
with regard to population and patron
age. In neither city is there any guar
anty OF definite duration of street railway
franchise. In the former there are or
soon will be three distinct plans in opera
tion-street level, elevated and under
ground, all embodied in one system. In
Washington they have the service system
and the underground eIeettie. There are
only 100000 people in the entire COM
munity, and most of those migrate dur
ing certain seasons, There are neither
manufacturers nor commerce prevailing
there in the ordinary sense. The finest
pavements in the country and the widest
streets are there, inviting to cycling and
pedestrianism by the people. Yet there
the charge of six fares for % cents has
been established for fifteen years.
In New York and Chicago. the two
cities in which street car service patron
age reaches the highest point, the service
is uniformly filthy and. inefficient, especial
ly in Chicago, where to this hour the
sight can be seen of a street car peing
hauled along BY horses. II New York
as high charge~as asas4eents for a
street car ticket prevails; while some of
the franchises run for g. nainety-nine years,
and others are claimed in perpetuity.
Here in ST, Paul, a man getting On an
interurban ear at Hamiine, or anywhere
east of Fairview avenue, and desiring to
so to TIE State University, a distance
of about three miles, must pay 10 cents
fare, and if at certain hours he must
moreover submit to standing all the way,
he and his felfow passengers being
crowded =together%like cattle, and being
hustled and shouted at by the conductor,
whose instructions are that he must pack
his car even to the point OF suffocation.
when he can.
/ Street car patrons in the various cities
| like st. Paul may continue to have tenn
perary concessions made to them when
| they unite in fragments and demand
this or that amelioration of the abuses of
| the service in its immediate application
to thems.sa-Rut. to. insure anything Ike
just treatment they must act as a whole,
and keep UP their agitation for relief. BY
keeping a grip oil their franchises, they
hold the strongest weapon they can use
in their dght-against 4extortionean abuse
by those in control of their local trans
| portation facilities.