New-York tribune., 1901-05-30
4 NEEDLESS. WANTON OUTRAGE.

An exasperating feature of the open car out
rage is it's utter needessness and wantonness.
There some evils of local transportation
which have some shadow of excuse, even
though IL he nothing more than the pecuniary
interest of the companies. When for example,
cars are run in freezing weather without warm
ing we can understand that the companies are
reluctant 10 spend few dollars for warming
them so long as they can help IT, When it is
choice between public discomfort and sickness
and the expenditure of little money there is
no hesitation. The public must suffer. But in
the present case can discover not even that
wretched excuse for the abomnabe wrong
which is being perpetrated upon the people.
The companies do not appear to he saving
money by compelling people TO ride in open
cars in cold east storms. II does not appear
that they would he put 10 any extra expense in
affording comfortable and safe accommodations.
Indeed. r ono were 10 say that the open car out
rage is pcrpetrated JUST for the wantOn sake Of
perpetratinG II, and Of making the public suffer.
he would be upheld in saying ny at least
every prima facie indication IN the case.
For rs We have hitherto said, IT Is perfectly
feasible for the companies to equip their lines
with a full complement of cars which are snugly
closed in cold weather and are wide open In
warm weather, and which may be transformed
from closed 70 open or from open 10 closed
within five minutes time At present some
lines have two full sets Of cars, one open and
one closed. Others have one set OF trucks and
two sets of bodies 10 b. placed upon them. In
the latter case the transformation from one
style 20 the other Is "A most cumbersome and
formidable task. and In the former IL is no
small job 10 make the change. But II is pos
siblc to put upon the roads cars which will
al 70 Ia 81, of WI a
set will therefore he sufficient for all purposes
with the result of a considerable saving 10 the
companies in cost of equipment and mainten-
ance II would actually he money in the pockets
Of the companies To give the public decent SER
vice But they persist in the indecency 10 their
own cost.
We have already mentioned the cars which
have been used for some years on the Third-ave
road in Manhattan as answering every require
ment Of cars which shall he either open or closed
n will. There are other cars. OF different make
but of equal utility on the elevated roads in
Brooklyn. They can be made either open or
shut in Il few moments. They give all passen-
gers seats facing forward instead OF sidewise
And they afford seating room for at least 30
per cent more passengers than the old style
closed cars They are regarded with unquali-
fed approval by all passengers. But the COM
panies do not seem 10 like them. Only a few
are used on the elevated roads. while ii is said
those on the Third-ave. surface road are TO be
withdrawn. Can It be that the companies pre-
fer to give poor rather than good accommOda-
tions, even when the latter the cheaper?
Are they deliberately going out of their way
and going to extra expense in order wantonly
TO impose outrage upon the public? 1t is lnCred-
ible. Yet what other explanation is there?