The San Francisco call., 1907-01-25
Accident and Tieups
Anger Passengers

following statement yesterday concern
ing the plans of the company:
want to repeat If are neglecting any
Improvement where the additional expenditure
of money labor Will better local transporta-
ton. would like to have our critics point 1t
out.
1t is said we have not enough men repairing
cars. Our force of shop hands engaged in re.
pairing cars we have more than doubled and
would quadruple that force If it could work to
advantage. Every well regulated street rail
road allows at least 20 per cent Of its rolling
stock for repairs and emergencies. We can
indulge in such luxury at present; the
moment a ear becomes disabled 1t must be
turned into the shops and repaired at once and
returned to the service Immediately We have
forces working night and day repairs. We
have large night shifts at work on street work
and construction department is under heavy
route and every shipment is undef the con-
slant eye Of our agents who are hurrying the
cars forward. Car manufacturers do not keep
stocks of cars on hand, and traffic conditions
in San Francisco would have been much worse
but for the fact that the Chicago City Railway
yielded to Mr.. Calhoun's entreaties and per-
mitted us to take the just finished for
them. The large suburban cars were secured
through another fortunate coincidence. a great
deal of delay and extra work has been i'm
posed upon US to equip these suburban cars for q,
be saved in getting them Into commission.
COMPANY NOT SATISFIED
1t is not fair to say that the United Railroads
will do nothing of its own motion to Improve
the car service. The thinking and observing
II the attitude OF the company was one OF
content with present conditions, such criticism
would be Just but the company is no more
content with the present than is our most un-
reasonable critic. We are straining every
point to bring the service up to hign standard
1t Is doubtful If any could point to plan
where could hasten or better matters by the
additional expenditure of monet or labor We
are keeping in our EMPLOY at high wages
who are not performing a fair days work,
merely because they do something In the course
of day that counts toward ultimate compile
tion. Go out where large gangs of men are
at work and observe for yourself.
There is doubt the switching back Of cars
has been abused, and it must be stopped.
of this sort of imposition, but 1t Is useless to
forward such reports unless 1t be accompanied
with the time, the badge number and the car
number. l have recently increased our force
of inspectors over so per cent to prevent this
abuse Cases arise where switching back IS
imperative, bat my attention has recently been
directed to many instances where II appears to
has been working under conditions without
parallel anywhere. We do not object to honest
criticism but do ask for fair play. We are
doing~the best that engineering skill and money
can do. Parsimony at the cost of proposed
improvement has at time delayed action
We have spent and contracted for the expendi-
ture of millions of dollars in replacing our
burned and destroyed properties. We have not
been niggardly nor have we faltered or hes-
tated as to where duty lay We agree with
the press. the present service is not satisfactory
but we believe the press should agree with US
that we have not been delinquent In Fastening
TO improve the service, or ii should point out
where might with additional expenditure
do better.