The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-21
TRANSFERS on TIE CAR ONLY.
METROPOLITAN TO TAKE OFF
STREET TRANSFER AGENTS.


Blocakdes Often Caused ny the Rush at
Transfer Corners and the mpan
suners Also From ~Fraud-The New
system WIN Go Into Eject on Jan. L.
After January 1 the present system OF
street transfer agents on the Metropolitan
system will be abolished n transfers
will be issued by conductors only. and only
when a request is made at the time fare Is
paid. At the Offices Of the company 1T
was said yesterday that there are several
reasons for the change, the principal one
being that it will Lessen congestion at the
largest transfer points. The change is
aIsointended to prevent the issuing OF two
transfers, one on the car and another at
a transfer point, and to simplify a system
which is confusing to people not familiar
with 1t.
Oren Root, Jr.; the general manager.
said yesterday:
although we have as many men sta
toned at the transfer points as Is prac-
ticable they are not able to handle the
crowds in the rush hours and while one
carload OF people is transferring the cars
behind continue TO back up and cause a
very bad congestion.
take the transfer station at Aston place
AND bTOaQWAY. We udNC hIo NC sAASsSf
the largest number possible without run;
ming the risk OF issuing transfers several
| times to the same person. They are not
able to pass the crowd fast enough ana
as many as ten cars sometimes are waiting
to get to the transfer corner. We nave
| had police stationed there to handle the
| crowd, but il is not possible for them 70 do so.
II the conductors issue the transfers we
believe that the cars will not be stalled
in his manner and that TRAFFIC will go on
Uninterrupted
Transfer agents are also continually
engaged in disputes with persons n
say they ave just alighted from a car,
when they have actually. walked IN back
OF it at the transfer point and mingled
with the passenger. The agents are
put in the best possible position for seeing
| all those who alight. but although they are
! many times sure that certain persons have
not come from the cars they are not able
to prove it and trouble ensues.
Also, many persons who ride on the
principal lines of the city consistently
get two transfers, one on the car and another
at a transfer point. We nave calculated
! that at the minimum 1000 cases such as
| this occur daily. On the roadwa down
town line a man may get a transfer for
Fourteenth street on the car and at Twenty
third street get off and get a transfer from
the agent. This transfer he will trade for
a newspaper or something OF that sort
and then continue his trip in Fourteenth
street. In the course of the year this loss
alone o to many thousands Of dol
lars.
I'm addition to all this the double system
is generally undesirable and causes con-
fusion, especially in the case Of people who
are not familiar with the city. Many cases
of this kind have come to our attention
lately
Mr.. Root was asked if the transfer agents
were dishonest and sold transfers, as has
been reported from time to time. he said
that although a dishonest man is found
occasionally, as a rule they are old en-
I ployees of the company and are all that
could be desired.