New-York tribune., 1908-02-06
COM MUTERS COMPLAIN.
Lackazcanna Patrons an MOntclaU
aroused OUer Late Trans.

Montclair n j. Feb (SpeciaD.-The matter of
better train service on the Lackawanna Railroad
has become topic of absorbing interest to the COM
muters on this branch of the road, and the outcome
of the pending conference between the committee
of Montclair citizens and President Truesdale is
eagerly awaited. The date for the conference with
President Truesdale has not been set. He has
gone West attend the funeral of a brotherin
law, and the meeting will be arranged upon his
return. At this meeting the committee, of which
Augustus F. Mack, of Lincoln street. is chairman,
and Mayor Henry V. Crawford is an honorary
member President Truesdale will be made fully
acquainted with the various grievances of the
Montclair commuters.
The chief grievance is the alleged careless opera
ton of the trains. 1t is declared that very few
adhere schedule time and that the service
in this respect is daily growing worse. Fifty or
sixty minutes consumed in the trip from Montclalr
to New York Is too long, the commuters say. The
complaints also embrace crowded cars. lack of sys-
designating trains at the Hoboken station,
the transfer of passengers at Roseve, owing to
the removal that point of four cars on one of
the important evening trains. which causes great
confusion annoyance, and the need of additional
trains between Montcair and Eoboken there being
the latter point between $40 and 102S
o'clock each morning, and it is also maintained
that there should be another evening train.
The commuters charges against the Lackawanna,
according to facts brought out at the meeting of
the better train service committee in Montclalr
Club Hall this week, too numerous 10 mention.
road. From Milhurn a strong protest
against the service afforded that town. A cir
cular sent out by the commuters of that town
maintains that the train service of the Lacka-
in respects is not good as it
was forty-f1ve years ago For instance, by com
pairing d time table of 1852 with of its latest
time tables it is that it requires several
minutes TO reach suburban stations on the
Morris & Essex division than 1t did in 1852. while,
strange say, its Sunday service makes better
time and is less inconvenient than its weekday
service. The Morris g. Essex division commuters
also complain that the suicidal policy of the
Lackawanna has lately caused the company to
abandon three of its suburban stations within
as Brick Church and East Orange. are threat
ened with the same treatment. People living
at the abandoned stations compelled to walk
the nearest village. The station house at
Mburn, ii is alleged, is badly arranged that
there is no way for passengers TO reach it with
crossing some Of the tracks thereby jeopardiz-
ing the lives hundreds of men, women and chill
dren every day.
The complaint of the Morris d Essex division ,
commuters differs in detail from that of the
Montclair travelling public The latter want more
added the express trains. the aisles of which
are usually crowded. The complaint of the Morris
& Essex people is in regard TO the accommodation
trains being oyercrowded.
Mayor Henry V. Crawford, who is taking great
interest in the movement to secure better train
service for Montclair, said to-day that the Lacka-
wanna company should by all means place a. yard
master here. The running of the trains from this
point s conducted from Hoboken. where those in
charge entirely familiar with the local con-
ditons.
THE fact is said Mayor Crawford, that the
passenger traffic Montclair has grown OF pro-
portions the advance of the Lackawanna rail
road in handling IT. The delays which business
men suffer in making the short trip between here
and New York intolerable. The journey to
Plainfed. the Central Railroad, which is twice
time it takes from New York to Mont
clair. The freight service is not what it ought to
be- either. The yard at the station here is mud
hole. from which it is difficult at all times to haul
heavy loads
local train service would be improved somewhat
IL the line of the Lackawanna between here and
Bloomfield double tracked Incoming trains |
are frequently held up at Bloomfield five ten |
minutes to allow tho departure of belated train |
from MontCair