New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-12-02
POOR SUBWAY SERVICE.
MANY ABUSES ALLEGED.
Long Vat for Tickets and Seats
HedLey Talks.

Criticism of the management of the subway is
becoming increasingly general and more and
more highly colored day by day from those who
are compelled to wait in line at the various sta
tions fer chance to buy ticket and then
eswing on a strap at forty miles an hour whlle
various other unfortunate persons walk on their
corns. Men and women who use the SUBWAY
daily, and of them many times day.
think that the road been running long
enough now for some of these abuses TO De
remedied and they are beginning to inquire why
this has not been done in voices that are hearo
from one end Of the big tube to the other
Take the station at the Grand Central for eA-
ample good many thousand persons nuy
tickets there in the course of the day, and there
are few of them who do not have to stand IN
line for the privilege It is not only in the rush
hours in tho morning and evening that 'he
ticket seller has waiting list OF fifty or Sixty
but it is all day long that would-be passengers
have to stand in line to get to the window
Frank Hedley, manager of the 1nteroofoush'
SAYS that this speaks remarkably we'll FOR INC
number of passengers the road is carrying anu
the popularity of the route with the people
When Mr. Hedley travels by the subway ne has
the privilege of walking by the ticket chopper
with his hands in his pockets and his heao III
the air, and no one will shout after him; HVar'
WHARF we goin'?'
But the man in the line says that he and ms
fellow sufferers not only speak well for the Dust
ness the subway is doing. but they speak dis
paragfngly to say the least, of the management
Of the road.
There are two ticket sellers at the Grand Cen
trail subway station from to a. m. Then one
of them goes off duty. Later crowds take care
of themselves as best they may. Mr.. Hedley
says that he cannot be responsible for the New
York Central dumping train load of commuters
into the subway at any hour of the day he
says that he has gone into the Grand Central
station and seen one poor lone ticket seller try
ing to handle all the traffic of the great New
York Central system, and with line OF at least
sixty persons YEARLY waiting their turn to BUY
tickets. He says that he does not mean to argue
that this excuses the marlborough. but If the
New York Central can keep sixty men waiting
half an hour, surely the PETERBOROUGH can keep
half as many waiting five minutes. At any rate,
the Interborough cannot keep ticket seller on
hand all day because a large number of people
have to stand in line every time one OF the Cen
trails six hundred trains day pulls into 42d-st
Times Square is another place where there IS
a good example of congestion every cay OF
night, rather in this instance It is one OF the
places that homeward bound theatregoers make
for about II o'clock every night and hundreds
of them to be found there waiting IN line
there at that time, but four would be none too
many. Mr.. Hedley made diagram in his office
yesterday to show how impossible it would be
to put two more ticket booths alongside the one
new in the station. Then he showed the obvious
way in which two more booths could be put in,
adding two more ticket sellers. Then he re-
marked on how the people make for the Times
Square station after the theatre. walking two
by two like files of soldiers and all convergtng
on this station. Then he said that he didn't
think the company would put in those extra
booths He did not think it was necessary.
He did think he would go up and have a look
at the 72d-st. station and see how passengers
have to make complete circle around the
ticket booth to buy their tickets and get to the
trains But he was not impressed with condi-
lions at 14th-st the bridge At 14th-st-, on
the downtown side, every passenger who goes
IN to buy ticket runs into at least three per-
sons coming out before he can get to the booth.
Having gathered up his belongings after his
various collisions, it is ten to one that, there
being nothing to indicate the proper side, he will
20 around to the closed side of the booth to
buy his ticket. When he gets around to the
proper place, he finds two men inside holding
conversation. When they have finished their
discussion, one of them condescends to sell him
a ticket. Then he fights his way to the plat
form and hangs on to a strap down to the
bridge.
Mr.. HedIey says that, doubtless, subways can
be built with proper provision for ventilation
and their entrances and exits properly arranged
and with sufficient platforms for all the trains
and all the passengers, and enough ticket booths
and officials of various kinds and degrees, but
this one was not built that way. The people of
New York built it, and they it; at any
rate, the papers are all the time talking about
who owns the subway. And that, apparently, is
all that is going to be done about the 14th-st
station.
Every one who has ever ridden in the subway
knows of the badly crowded condition Of the
express trains 1t is estimated that a census Of
subway express patrons would show in
thirty-eight who had had seat in express
train IN the last six months. The others have
stood on their feet and those of their
neighbors. The subway arm is getting common
in Newly now. It is about four inches longer
than the other in well developed cases and
around curves. The subway eye is also of
the most popular diseases. 1t is filled with dirt
that comes flying through the windows of the
cars
According TO Mr.. Hedey, there are 603 cars
in use in the subway and 123 more that the
company but which yet ready to
be operated. Also, it is acquiring more as rap
idly they be built, but the question of
adding more express trains in the so-called
non-rush hours is one that remains for the
future to answer.
Mr. Hedley says that the subway is godsend
to New-York. He adds that he travels up ana
down it constantly himself to observe the con-
ditions and that one could go all over the
world and not find better service.
DOTTDVI OF FPK SUSPENDED