New-York tribune., 1905-07-09
THE BRONX INDIGNANT.
Heroic Measures AdUocated to Force
Decent Trolley SerUice.

The following resolution, adopted May 5, at
a mass meeting of citizens. held under the au-
spices Of the Association OF Bronx Real Estate
Brokers, will best indicate the opinion OF the
people OF The Bronx as regards the service of
the Union Railway Company:
Whereas. The Union Railway Company has
furnished to the citizens OF The Bronx a service
totally inadequate to the necessities of the dis
trict; and
Whereas, The cars are dirty, badly lighted,
badly heated and in bad repair; and
Whereas, The conditions detrimental 10
the health of the people and imperil the lives of
the passengers; and
Whereas. The service afforded and the condi-
tions areosuch to interfere with the welfare
OF the Borough of The Bronx: it is
Resolved That a committee of twenty-one
citizens from all sections of the borough be ap-
pointed TO take measures to force this company
to carry out its obligations TO the public.
The Tribune has on former occasions devoted
space to the shortcomings of the Union Railway
Company telling of the efforts being made by
the North. Side Board of Trade the Taxpayers
Alliance and other bodies. to compel this cor
poration TO improve its service
James L. Wells. Fielding l. Marshall. Olin J.
Stephens. Albert f Davis. Adoph c. Hotten-
roth and other citizens of The Bronx have for
years labored increasingly TO persuade Edward
A Maher, the president of the Union Railway
Company, and other officials to introduce i'm
provements the various lines of the road
The Union Railway Company has continued in
the same old rut, content to pack its patrons
into dirty cars. the majority half the size Of
those in in Manhattan. badly lighted and
heated, and running them a schedule which
makes pretence at regularity.
James L. Wells, who is a pioneer in the fight
to bring about decent and adequate transit by
the Union company. in speaking at the mass
meeting at which the resolution printed above
was adopted declared that il was useless to
make any further appeals for relief to Edward
A. Maher. president of the Union Railway Com
pany, but that complaint should be made to the
president and directors of the New-York
City Railway Company, the corporation which
controls the Union. Mr. Wells said also that
decent waiting rooms should be provided for
passengers. particularly at West Farms. and at
Burnside-ave. and Jerome-ave.
In its issue of June 25. 1905, The Tribune de-
scrbng the abominable service of the Union
railway pointed out that the entry into the local
field of the New York City Interborough Rail-
way Company which is to operate six lines Of
trolley roads, would more than anything else.
spur the Union to give better service The
article of June %, in part, said
The six lines which the Interborough COM
pany is building will all be crosstown routes,
will run TO stations of the elevated road ana
subway. and VIII undoubtedly cut heavily into
the business OF the Union Railway Company.
Men IN Ihe Bronx VINO nave idDOieO tOA S0oAS
to bring about approximately decent service
on the part OF the Union declare that when the
receipts OF the older company begin 10 fall OF
a change for the better in the service furnished
by fl will be at once apparent.
Twenty years ago the present service Of the
Union Railway Company might have been ade-
quate TO the traffic of that time. To-day there
are three hundred thousand persons living in The
Bronx. many of whom have to depend on the
Union for surface transportation In the rush
hours of the morning and evening, the daily
spectacle is seen of cars crowded TO suffocation.
with men clinging 10 the bumpers in imminent
danger of being thrown off and killed.
II some intelligence was injected into the
management of the line, if inspectors busted
themselves in dealing with congestion, BLOCKS
and other similar interruptions 10 the speedy
movement of cars. instead of being detailed
merely to watch conductors to they do not
knock down" fares collected from passengers,
a halfway decent service might possibly result.