The new enterprise. (Madison, Fla.) 1901-1908, 1908-01-16
GLASGOW Sweet cans.
Points Of Contrast and Comparison
with American Cars.

/ POINTS OF Contrast and Comparison
with American Cars.
Municipal ownership Of street rail-
roads, which all good Americans have
been taught to think an altogether
wrong and unavoidable plan, seems In
Glasgow to be complete success. The
conditions, however, are so very diff
ferent from those existing in New
York that comparison Is almost out Of
the question. In Glasgow politics do
not enter into the matter at all. Graft
has not to be taken account Of, and,
in fact, all the arrangements that
make the street car system IN Glasgow
so admirable. would be impossible to
apply in American cities. The cars
are all double-deckers, some with Gov
cred tops and others without-these
last providing an almost ideal mode of
seeing the city. The fares (no trans
fers) paid in so different a way from
ours, are about cent a mile; so that
you tell the green uniformed conductor
your destination and he charges you
accordingly. For long distances this
is more expensive than our way, but
as Glasgow is crowded into a compar-
atiyely small district 1t makes a great
saving in going about in the business
quarter Of the town. One thing that
strikes a New Yorker as superfuous is
the giving Of a small ticket to show
that the passenger has paid his fare.
It, Of course, deprives one OF the excit-
ing disputes as TO whether or not you
have paid your fare, and it also stops
those free rides that on the New York,
cars are so numerous, but it filters the
floor Of the car with discarded tickets,
which is perhaps not so great draw
back after all, as they are the only dirt
the Glasgow cars have, and one or two
flaws are always needed, II only to
keep general interest up. The adver-
tisements are, oddly enough, all on the
outside of the car and as the cars are
never crowded and the conductors are
spiritless creatures who never shout
or push, an atmosphere Of restfulness
is really felt in these foreign cars.
At the crowded hours the cars fol
low so closely on one another that 1t is
one continuous train, and If in a few
Of the cars (the ones that have strong
est spring and that the makers felt
were equal to an extra cram) some
half dozen extra passengers are al
lowed to stand, every one exclaims
and says: This is a terrible jam, isn't
it2" The cars go at a very good
speed, are not upholstered in dusty
carpet. but have not uncomfortable
hardwood seats, and though the allght-
ing passengers are not allowed to get
on before the others crowd on, per
haps this hardly matters either as the
need to step lively is never felt, and
every one bumps into every one else
in an extremely cheerful way What
to all masculine minds is highly inn
portant is that the car lines pay very
well indeed, while feminine passengers /
are cheered by the knowledge that |
neither their clothes nor their disDo- |
sitions will be completely ruined BY a
half hours ride on tram
American women have never been !
called uDprogressiye-they have been |
called other things, but 50 far this one
word has not been applied 10 them
now let them look to their laurels. The
women Of Scotland are ahead OF them
in one respect. They board the cars /
when they are moving. and moving at
a goodly speed, too, The ears, which |
stop at red posts and nowhere else.
win consent to slow down to half
speed ii people signal. and then WON
en- with bundles hop on and women
with babies Ia their arms swing them
selves on, and the poor American girl
who has never reached this stage OF
is left blinking amaxedly
at the fast disappearing car.-Nev
York Evening Sun.