New-York tribune., 1903-01-04
rRr RalLR0an coNmTSSTON,s PIN.

Tho State Railroad Commissions dealings
with the rapid transit problem suggest the
governing methods of the King and Queen ot
Hearts II sits ulD and issues summary ana
sweeping orders without much regard for the
facsf cf the case II seems 20 have been I'M
pressed with the policy of doing something,
and not having the ability or inclination TO
fnd out in detail what MAS needed. just con-
,.luded 10 cover the whole ground by an easy,
offband direction 10 run all the trains possible
all the time II is obvious thai there is no
need from early morning until midnight for all
ihe trains which are run at the rush hours
Tho requirement. that the elevated railroad
should keep such number of trains in opera
fion is unreasonable. On the other hand. it is
eonaflr obvious that the present service in the
non-r1nsil hours is inadequate. and that the full
rush hour service does lot begin early enough
or last long enough. The traffic congestion
rarely extends beyond the periods fxed for
maximum service.
These shortcomings are what the State Com
lnissiou's order is meant 10 correct, but it is an
exceedingly crude adaptation Of means to an
end Nevertheless hope that the elevated
railroad eoTnpsny will make no dlfncuity
about obedience. for when it has once shown
where its service is super6ucus IL viii easily
serlrrn permission 20 cut it down to the needs
oF traffic Meanwhile il will give the public
Sc /. does not now all the facilities required
IN -he non-rush hours. From one point OF
view indeed. il is good thing for novelty
10 orerdo the service. II might make the ROAD
- l,i4 r,onuIar for change. Moreover, IL will
.e well 10 find out how large service the
neople viii use If they have if. The attempt
surely 10 provide everybody with 3 seat even
y, non-rush hours so long ago ceased that it
wnuld be worth while for little TO run trains
,,rn,tr empty. and then scale down, as it is
cosr ia do while il is almost impossible for
,l.e ,omnany 20 scale up, car by car and tram
1,, +rcin IA the requirements. The utTnest lib
e-sl;tr Of the managers always falls short. and
r,srhans sudden. blind plunge into prodigai
serrice Is the ealy way TO overcome the strain
of parsimonious habits
The sllperintesdent Of the Manhattan lines
suacesfs that full service would mean e0nges-
ZION in the nonrush hours and decrease I'D
snaea II is TO be remembered, however. that
tbe DELAY at hight and morning is largely due
IA the orercrexding OF the trains and the mn
possibility of loading and unloading quickly
In the non-rushs hours the trains would De
shorter. and at most would be only comforl-
as,iv filled With few passengers getung on
ana of without difficulty at each station the
S,ons would be brief and the trains would
oositv run ON schedule time. As we say, the
-raer orerdoe~ the matter. but IL is In the
,.i,,,t direction. and attention should likewise
he sireu TO the other elevated lines in the c7ty
t,,st tbeir non-rush hour service may also be
increased In liberal measure. If not on the
vrholesaIe plan proposed for the Manhattan
For inprcvement of the service in the riah
.1,rs tha commission does practically nothing
Ian. suggest fhe completion of third tracks
rbat is Just what the railroad wants and has