New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-03-23
A SLOW RESTORATION.

poforo tho o,onino of the subway the Inter
borough company took great palns 70 u' Az
emploves for the work they were GUNS =,
1t maintained for weeks q schooi Vi ue -
hioh +bo mon learned their duties by the plac-
ticaI oneration of trains, ana SO
technical knowledge, mental qulcKhesS "Iu
ual dexterity which safe ana r"pi,l 90 So -
ouiras THE result was that when tne fodu was
onened To traffic it was found to DE aS wen
a,,inrad personally as it was materially hor
tbo+ exemnlifcation of forethought ana lhor-
o,cl,nass the managers received Just praise II
was freely acknowledged that they had sho"n
themselves fit 10 operate the new system Vi
RECONSIDERATION. After few months their com
petency was put to different test, ana they
acnuitted themselves well. A sudden strike ulu
not find them unprepared to cope with IL, ana
they needed only two or three days 10 convince
their men that it was bad policy to break an
agreement. Violate the rules of their own order,
and without warning subject the public to great
inconvenience. Again the company was general
" commended for energy, wisdom and Skill
1t must be said however, that the promise OF
those days has not been satisfactorily Kept. Inc
service has not been restored either on the ele-
waited or subway lines TO anything like its for
mer efficiency. 1t is probable that some OF the
complaints are exaggerated, but there can DE
no pretence of denying that there is serious DIS
OrganlZaIlOns IuaI At Certain uoulS lH'iAS "iC 81
infreduent that even with diminished travel the
crowding is shocking and dangerous; that the
operation of trains is slow, owing both to inter-
@ruptions and to reduced speed, and that minor
accidents are numerous. Moreover unless the
testimony of many witnesses is deceptive, as
perhaps it may be, the service is not improving,
but deteriorating. At all events, the public is
disappointed and beginning to show signs Of In
dignation. The company's managers must be
disappointed also, if they really believed their
own confident assertions while the strike was
on. that the trouble would all be over in a week
and trains running satisfactorily as ever.
Undoubtedly the company has had hard
problem TO deal with, and we are not disposed
to Join in the chorus of unqualified censure
which seems to be gaining volume. 1t would
not have been good morals or good policy, as
soon as the strike was called off, to discharge
all the new men and take back the old force.
But the company is under no obligation to re-
tain new men who are showing themselves to
be dull awkward and slow to learn. 1t is en-
titled TO a reasonable time in which TO put the
roads in good working order again, but the proc
ess must not be too leisurely-a reasonable time
must not be defined to suit its own convenience
alone The public is entitled to demand full
restoration of a safe service as soon as the COM
pany is able to restore it by bending all its en-
ergies with unbiased judgment to the task.
The day is not far distant when the public will
demand that the company, if it cannot other
wise fulfil its obligations, shall take back as
many Of its old men as may be required for that
purpose