New-York tribune., 1901-02-10
even the most fertile garden spot Of this fertile
land can afford TO ignore
A SEAT FOR EVERYBODY.

The Women's Reform Club of Brooklyn has
a happy thought. Ii wants seats for everybody
in the surface and elevated cars. That is what
we all want Most of us. however, feel that in
the present congested state OF transit facilities
this much TO be desired end is quite unattain-
able The railroads might run more cars and
give seats at the hours of normal traffic. but at
the rush time morning and night there are
simply more people 10 be carried than the
tracks, can accommodate. Forbid the compa-
nies TO take on their ears more passengers than
there are seats, and there would be bowling
mob of hungry men and women wanting 10 get
home TO their dinner at night, or anxious men
and women fearful OF being late at their work
In the morning.
The Women's Reform Club is. however, unde-
TERED by these obstacles. 1t has drafted bill
guaranteed 10 procure a seat for each passen-
ger or ruin the profits OF the transportation com
panies. 1t provides that each passenger for
whom a seat is not provided need pay only two
cents fare. If there is a seat for him he must
pay five cents whether he takes IL or not But
II there is no seat for him when he enters and
vacancy is made afterward then he may have
his choice of standing for two cents or sitting
down for an additional fare Of three cents.
What beautiful sight would he conductor in
a car packed with a hundred people going
around 10 collect an additional three cents from
every passenger who after hanging on strap
drops into a vacated seat, or having an argu-
ment with a person standing in a half emptied
car as 10 whether he entered before or after
some seats were vacated! Then what would
happen 10 the polite man who gets up 10 give
his seat 10 a woman? Would he collect re-
bate of three cents from the conductor, or would
a rule provide that the title TO that seat in
hered In the original purchaser so long as he
remained on the car, TO be loaned by him at
pleasure and that only when he stepped off
could the extra three cents be demanded of the
woman pain of having 10 get up and give
place 10 a full fare passenger? Perhaps etiquette
might require the woman 10 pay three cents TO
the man who made way for her, and there
would be a splendid opportunity for harmless
Irritation the fair one insisting that she couldn't
think of accepting the value Of three cents from
n strange man. and he protesting that he would
scorn TO be paid for such gift. II men were
slow about offering seats the weary hangers at
the straps might make friendly offers TO pay
three cents for five minutes rest.
Perhaps the Women's Reform Club has not
thought OF these interesting possibilities Pos
sibly it expects that weeks trial of the sys-
TEN would so seriously reduce the railroad in
comes that enough cars 10 carry everybody at
five cents a head would be provided. II it
does think so let it send a delegation to the
New-York terminal of the Bridge some night ut
about a quarter of six and measure the space
between the OverfiOwing sardine boxes Of hui
manity that drag in slow procession out OF the
sta tion and frequently wait for minutes for pre-
ceding cars 10 get out of their way. The street
railroad lines are badly managed enough; the
Brooklyn roads in particular seem To he con
Quoted with view 10 making the passengers
as crazy as they imagine the untiring inventor
Of new and strange and annoying schedules OF
operation must be. But there Is limit 10 all
things. When there is much that the rail
roads could do for comfort which they do
not, there is no use asking them TO do what
they cannot. We might better cOnfne our de
mands 10 something reasonable.