Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-17
How London Will Fight
Overcrowding of Cars
Special Correspondence of The Star.

Special Correspondence Of The Star.
| LONDON, December s, 1905.
"Yerkes straphangers," as the discon-
tented travellers on the Americanized I'M
| foreground railway have been ntcknamed,
certainly mean business. They have reg
| istered their kick against overcrowding in
| the cars, as all the world knows; but just
how they are going TO make it count has,
up to this time, been a matter of con-
lecture.
However. in the course of an interview
with the representative of one of the larg
est "straphanger associations in London,
the steps which the public intends to take
in the matter were made quite clear Mr..
f. w. Cation secretary of the London Re-
form Union-which has taken up the fight
In the interests of travelers-when asked
what they were going to do about it, said:
There have already~been organized In
London no less than three societies of
'straphangers,' whose sole purpose is to
make the railway management stop over
crowding. Two firms of lawyers have taken
up the cudgels on behalf of number of
grieved 'straphangers,' while the Society of
Travellers and our association-the London
Reform Union-are out cunning for the
railways with similar objects.
Hundreds of letters have been written
to US denouncing the use of American
crushing on the underground railways We
have formally drawn up these letters and
presented them to the board of trade
which has control of all passenger traffic
in England-and that body has sent a pc
ution to the railway companies demanding
an abatement of the nuisance"
What time do you consider traffic to be
most congested?" was asked
THE most 'overcrowded' moment In Lon
don," said Mr. Cation, has been officially
ascertaned to be 7:15 pm. 1t seems at
this time the whole town is On the move
and the railway companies point out that
If everybody insists on going home at one
particular moment there must be over
crowding, in the nature Of things. While
we admit this, we demand more cars; and
the chances are we will get them, or know
the reason why. District railway officials
have promised to do better for the public
but we do not believe railway promises
and are getting ready our legal machinery"
But suppose the appeal by the board of
trade be ignored" was suggested-"what
then?'
IF the appeal to the board of trade does
not result in an immediate betterment of
the service, so that every one, or nearly
every one viii have a seat. number of
test cases will be brought in the special
court for hearing these cases, known as
the court of railway and canal commits
sion, presided over by Lord Gotham, Sir
Frederick Peel-each drawing $4,000 a
year-and a special judge. with a salary
| of $4,000 per annum. The popularity of
this court is that even IL the passenger
wins he must pay his own costs, which
often run into some thousands of dollars.
1t is for the very purpose of enabling
aggrieved travellers to meet these costs that
organized associations have entered the
contest Funds will be raised to fight for
the unseated public, which intends to sit
down If it costs it a thousand dollars a
seat If the railway company, by any tech
! nicality, wins it's case. then the represen-
tations of the 'straphangers' may bring in
a bill to parliament and a big agitation
with the appointment of a possible royal
commission. will keep the matter before
the public and something will have to hap
pen.
"One thing is very evident" continued the
intend to sit-or rather. to stand-quietIy
and let the railway companies crowd them
as they please, as is done in America. II
the Brooklyn bridge crush took place in
London, the public would simply not stand
for it."
How do American cars suit London re-
quirementS?
LAS a matter of fact, there has been so
much furore created over tne methods
brought into play since the introduction Of
the American system, as operated on the
new electric underground railway-the
| 'District"-that many serious doubts have
| arisen to the utility of American cars
| on this service. Roughly speaking, not
less than 100000 people pour into and out
of London at the rush hours, from to 8
am. and from to 7:3o pm. and many
persons are asking the question whether or
not the English car is not more suitable
than the American for rapidity In getting
into and out of trains. English cars open
by many doors on each side, and one set
of persons can be getting out and emptying
the cars while the others are getting in.
While the new American cars are beau
| tifully lighted and very comfortable when
not oyercrowded. they do not seem to be
adapted for the handling of the vast crowds
that require them in the largest city in the
world. Both the public and railway OIL
Gals are asking themselves whether or not
| a return to the older form of car-with all
| its ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS not one of the posi-
| bilities Of the near future.
LAS to the American overcrowding, that
must go In any event, whether American
| cars stay or not. London won't stand it,
POISON IN EGG YOI,RS