The Indianapolis world., 1900-01-27

tains this clause: at is also agreed by
and between the parties hereto that
the said company, party in the
second part, shall at all times during
this grant, run and operate upon and
oyer each of its said lines sufficient
number of frst-class and commodius
passenger cars to accommodate the
public" That the company is not
complying with this part of its con-
tract on the Pennsylvania street line
will be attested by hundreds using
that line. Each evening is repetI-
ton of the preceding one, to-wit, q. jam
and squeeze, the standing passengers
rotating around one another like cog
wheels. Indeed it requires consider
able athletic ability among the male
passengers, wbo, of course, occupy the
aisles, TO maintain an upright position.
The question is being seriously dis
cussed among the passengers as to
whether a school ofgymnastics will not
be necessary in order that the men
may learn to comfort gracefully. What
the citizens of Indianapolis want is
that the company will be so managed
that overcrowded cars will not be a
part of their daily life. The demand
now made is for a necessity, and what
can be more OF necessity than street
car room? PENNSYLVANIA STREET.
Complaints like the above, which we
hear occasionally, are usually baseless
and generally silly. They only prove,
what all know, that there is tendency
among humanity to grumble and that
some people would find fault even in
heaven. Nothing ever goes to suit
them. No earthly thing can be made
sufficiently perfect to escape their
fault finding. Especially is this true
of all kinds of public service. The
chief delights of certain element is
to grumble and growl. If they are
given ride of ten miles for cents
they want it for 2. and if given it for
two they will then insist on riding for
nothing. Now the plain truth of the
matter is that there never can be alb
solute perfection in the street car SER
vice. There will always be occasions
when there is overcrowding, more pas
sengers than there is room. No fore
sight. no skill or management, and no
amount of equipment can prevent
those occasional "crushes." They
happen on all lines, at every railway
station and every boat-landing in the
world. The time comes when there
are more people in a hurry to go than
there is accommodations to take them.
1t is impossible for any management
to foresee just how many people are
going to take a notion to go some
where from given point particular
time, and though they had thousands
of extra cars, they would be useless
because unavailable on such short
notice. A street car service must be
judged by its general results, not by
particular occasions. Judged in this
way, the service in Indianapolis is ex-
cellent and it is growing better all the
time. All that is needed is little
patience and a little discretion in
knowing when there is really some
thing that deserves criticism and when
there is not. Because there Is little
overcrowding at "rush hours" on par
ticular corners is NJ proof that the
street car company is not complying
with its charter any more than the
fact that on occasions of excursions
there are more people at the station
than the Big Four or Pennsylvania can
get ON their trains is proof that these
are not great and we'll managed roads.
The papers should not encourage un-
reasonable grumblers to air their
grievances before the public.