The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1904-05-28
Superiority of American Over British Methods Revealed By
Comparison Of Two Representative Street Car Systems
What Each Returns to- the Public Golfers.
Fam iliar In British Cities.

y
20 the Public Golfers.
For purposes Of fair comparison with
Glasgow the Boston system suggested
itself as more directly available perhaps
than that Of any other American NUM-
cipality for the double reason that the
population served, including the sub
urbs, in both cases, Is substantially the
same as in Glasgow; that is, about one
million in round numbers; and Boston
Is the only large American city in
which the service is combined as In
Glasgow under one management. Fur
thermore, Boston presents the most
typically American system because it
which are destined from now on to
make up rapid transit in the larger
cities of the United States-subway,
street surface and elevated.
The syetems of the two cities repre-
sent on the one side the best example
Of municipal ownership, on the other
an equally good illustration of private
ownership subjected to state regulation.
The Glasgow tramways may be called
control their field absolutely; the Bos-
ton Elevated Railway company Is a
privately owned monopoly of substan-
TALLY all the services of the city and it's
nearby suburbs. The Boston company's
policy is regulated, however, by two
circumstances: an active competition
for suburban traffic with the numerous
lines of three great steam railroads,
which run hundreds of local trains
daily, and a thoroughgoing system Of
public supervision, provided by the
Massachusetts, laws.
One of the first of many points Of diff
ference to attract the beholder's atten-
ton is in the kind of cars used. The
American types are sufficiently familiar
the close ssurface trolley car. for win
ter, the Toni elevate ed cars with both:
end END and sid ed oors FOR. overhead tracks
and the open surfac car with cross
the cars are the odd-looking double
deckers," having more than half their:
seating capacity on the uncovered roof.
The average Englishman or Scotchman
Is content to take things a little more
slowly and demands less protection
from the elements than the American
so that these cars are tolerated abroad.
exasperating delays In receiving and
d1scharg1ng passengers along such ire
mendously busy thoroughfares as
Washington street in Boston, or Broad
way or Fourth avenue in New York, or
Dearborn street in Chicago, if it were
necessary to wait each time a car
stopped for several people to Chamber
up and down the narrow winding stair
way to the roof, single file! The roof
seats are found to be quite agreeable in
pleasant weather, of course, but are
decidedly otherwise in winter or on
stormy days in any season, since there
is no second roof to give protection on
account Of the many low bridges under
which the cars must pass. Double
deckers," with covered second stories,
were tried in Boston at one time, but
found unsatisfactory and abandoned
Glasgow now owns about $50. cars,
practically all built on one plan, al
though some are smaller than the
standard type. The Boston Elevated
company owns rather more than $500
cars Of different kinds, selected for
their various uses, nearly one-haf being
Of the open variety for summer use.
The total number Of cars operated
each day on the Boston lines is about
1900; in Glasgow, $50. The Glasgow
standard car will seat IS passengers
80 on the roof and rs inside; the small
| er cars seat So, less than half inside.
| The open cars in Boston are of. varying.
Sizes. seating from 40 to- 60 each, and
the elevated cars seat 49,. So far as the
seating capacity Of individual cars. is
| concerned, the two systems average
are in use in the American city; in win
ter Glasgow is ahead In seating capacity
| since the standard Boston closed car
seats only "a. But these are all inside
seats, be 1t remembered, and as the car
body is rs feet long. or-eight feet long
er than the Glasgow standard, the in
side carrying capacity of the American
siderably greater than that of the
| Scotch. So ITS all question of
! TASTE" again; If you prefer standing
! room inside a. closed and warmed car to
| an exposed seat on the roof you will
find that the Accommodations, car for
car, are more liberal in Boston; but if
you prefer the seat and the fresh air,
regardless Of cold and storm, you will
! vote for the Glasgow PLAN = : + 7 T.;
! As<to the amount of service furnished
the contrasts are. quite marked. The
| number Of passengers who ride on the
/ Boston lines, more than. one-thtrd of
| whom are carried on free transfers, is
! about one million daily In Glasgow,
/ 49, 900, or, less than half, although the
i population served is about the same.
Since Boston perates: ] 300 cars q day
former case one car il run for every 81. 77O
passenger while IN & latter there IS
but one car for every i ,O77: j: Boston
/ makes much the better. hoWinR also lin
respect to miles Of track operated. now
about no.. as compared with 1s9 IN GIas-
j gov, measured AS sing le track iii either
lease On the BE sis Of one million pop
*ulation served Boston has me mile of
track for. every q go inha 81 tants, and
Glasgow one for every l f3;5|
ext theS & carg 81 he mo 1t curious
lspoints q Inference sis III respect to fareal
i Glasgow condu 6 orSt issues 20 paisseen-
gers iftrsrents olored tickets at sdiffer-
lent Ices accor inr tog the dist.ncasor.