Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-08-14
'RRAWs PECULIAR CONTRAST
street Railway Methods of some Ger.
man Cities and OF some
American Citiess

A staff correspondent of the New York
Engineering News expresses establishment
at the ease and celebrity with which crowds
are handled and moved by the street rail-
ways Of German cities, in contrast with
the confusion and cruelty observed in
American cities under like circumstances.
He says, in part:
have spent a short time in each OF six
German cItieE-Duessedorf Essen, Col
ogne, Bonn, Mayence and StrassburE-and
have ridden on the street railways In each.
What have seen is only what may be
seen by any American travelling abroad.
have not pretended to make any study
Of technical details OF operation, and what
have seen makes me wonder why the
street railway service in any and all OF
these German cities is so far in advance
Of what the public enjoys az enjoys is the
right world in my own city in America.
What is the street railway service at
home? Well can think Of 30 many ad-
jctives commonly applied to it by long
suffering passengers that hesitate which
to choose. Instead Of choosing let me state
the facts.
The town in which 1 live is a suburban
City OF some 10000 population It's street
railway lines are part OF great system
covering large number Of cities and
towns in New Jersey and serving a popula-
tion Of probably 10000 people. The cor
poration which operates these lines is a
branch OF a huge eorpoyAtion. with many
ramificauons. This controls for instance,
the electric light and gas supply for most
of the district covered by it's street rail-
ways. It's finances are maze, past find
ing out, apd by common reports It has had
and has more influence in shaping the gov
eminent of the cities, In : its domain ana
even OF the state itself than have all the
rest OF the citizens of that state combined.
the end Tor which this corporation pro-
fessedly exists IL 10 furnish public service
to the people over whom II reigns But
this In the kindaof street railway service
which II furnishes; It's cars are dirty
and overorowded, They are insufficient
in number to accommodate the traffic.
not only at the rush hours OF the day. but
at other times. They are run at aston
ishingly irregular intervals Often one waits
long time for a car 10 come along and
then three or four will pass in a bunch.
The conduct OF the employees is con-
slant source OF" complaint, The handling
OF the controller and of the. brakes Is
such that the cars are generally stopped
with Jerk and started with a surge
ahead that sends the whole mass OF strap.
hangers swaylng backward. The failure OF
motormen to stop when signaled is a con-
slant evaporation. particularly on parts
Of the system where cars are run at infre-
quent intervals. ~ Is
might go on in much greater detail,
but II is not pleasant task and the whole
situation can best be summed up In one
Short sentence. The street railway passen-
gers in my own city at home are TANNED
into dirty sereet cars like cattle. The goods
used upon the street car cattle are such
verbal ones as isiep lively" and move
up In front" That's the chief difference.
And there IL al yet no humane society 70
protect street railway passengers from
cruel treatment.
And now how is II in Germany In al
my street railway riding in Germany
have not yet seen crowded street railway
car. Only once have seen passengers