The morning journal-courier., 1907-12-17
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE
A Vigorous Protest Against Delaying the Car Fender Re-
 form.

The hearing of the railroad commis- sioners at city hall on Tuesday, when the question of lenders on the trolley cars of this city came up, seems to have resulted in little less than tias- CO., As 1t would seem. the railroad com pany has but made another one of its evasive replies and, in all probability, the whole matter will subside into in- action Public feeling against what is really a live and urgent evil will spend | its force and disseminate. The hearing resulted in the agreement that If the railroad company is able to find a bet ter style of fender than that in use the railroad commission will order it to be put on the cars"
 One might think that safe fender | (and there are many of them, the railroad to the contrary) would prove to be real measure of economy to the trolley people. It certainly ought to re- duce the sum total of what they have to pay out each year in damage suits But unfortunately, the railroad com pany does not look at the matter in that light. Instead it pretends to be- lieve that it is mot yet able to find any better fender and, from many sim liar experiences before railroad com inissioners, the road has learned this neat way of begging the question, that by promising to do differently if it thinks itself that it better. Just as be- | s,s4 4,, se t,4 the railroads hands and, if 1t did not act before, there is little hope that it will now, especially if the public shows signs of forgetting the matter.
 I As for the present fender 1t is absurd to think that 1t is the best available one The truth of the matter, as we un- derstand it, is that the maker of the fender at present in use stands in. ;" This fender as all must know, is plac- ed under the car platform in position that is little short of ridiculous, as far as any service goes. Indeed 1t would be a miracle if it were ever of any practical value. so far is it from being the best fender there is.
 Prof. Charles Foster Kent of Yale, representing the Associated Civic So- eiety, recommended at the hearing the adoption of a fender similar to that in use in Bridgeport We would uphold him in the matter The Brooklyn Rap i'd Transit has another that cannot but commend itself even to the inexperi- enced mind as being of far greater value Both of these lenders are of the basket type, setting well out in front of the car, as any lenders must, it would seem, to be of any use.
 As for the present fender, even the railroad company's employees who are in the best position to see it in prac- tical use, condemn it. An official high up in the equipment department of the trolley road has admitted that he thought the man who invented the present fender must have been crazy Before 1t could ever possibly reach q vlctim-in-prospect, the latter would, of necessity, be struck by the bunkers which extend out in front of the car platforms, and the chances would be ten to one that his back would be broken.
 It might be admitted that no fender is perfect; none of them will guar antee to save from all injury eve 7 human who may come Into the path ways of the on-rushing electric jauga- nauts. Even the Bridgeport type might break a leg or two. But better that than to attempt to save human lives by tanning people up under the plat forms of the cars with all their bones broken, where there can be no possible hope for them.