Arizona republican., 1912-04-08
Father Knickerbock cker Think Half Million Cats Are Enough
 and to Spare
YOUTH OF 85
 HAS AN IDEA
He Thinks It's Up to Him to Set a Mark as the City's Champion
 High Liver

NEW YORK, April 7.-whether New York may yet entrust the dis position of its garbage to four-foot- ed scavengers in the shape of cats. corresponding in a way to the dogs ! of ConstantinOple, is the most strik ! ing possibility in the controversy now raging as to whether cats are a pub | lie necessity or a public nuisance in
 this city demanding immediate re- call. The question is causing all 1 sorts of discussion between persons
 who regard them as the only effec- [ tive means of keeping down the rat and mouse population and those who
 object to having their slumbers dis
 turbed by nocturnal feline howlings. 1 According to the latest feline census i it is estimated that there are half a million cats in this city, as com i pared to 5O000 dogs, and in view of | the rapidity with which the former are increasing in numbers it is now proposed either to license or exter-
 minate them. The proposal to l- cense cats is attended with many diff faculties and objections. Aside from ! the difficulty of catching quarter of a million strays and establishing | their ownership one expert holds that such a step would he on par with | licensing birdsf white mice or rab- ] bits On the other hand an expert of contrary views paints a shocking picture of a cat ridden city in the near future if steps are not taken | to eliminate these animals. Accord | ing to him in the thickly populated districts the cats are really wild animals attacking chiefly the odorif-
 erous garbage can. A recent inves- tigation shows that these animals come out only at night so that to catch them it became necessary to travel about the city in automobiles
 in company with the forces of the
 street cleaning department engaged i'd collecting garbage. However, the ad-
 vOoates of the cats point out that l these animals if unmolested might we'll relieve the city of the expense 1 of garbage collection, while the foes of Tabby and Tommy paint the hor- TOTS of a city in which it will not be safe to venture forth at night for fear of the predaceous felines. AL together the question as to whether New York shall have the recall of cats appears to promise hot discus sion.
 Il With antiquated horse drawn cars still running in Manhattan, Father | Knickerbocker will shortly introduce the latest spring fashion in surface cars, thus giving this city the record lof operating the most obsolete and
 the most up-to-date surface tnans- portation cars. The new cars will really mark an epoch in the history
 of surface lines since they will be without platforms front or rear. and
 also without steps A sample of this latest wrinkle in street ears-,a ve-
 hicle as diffeernt from the present
 cars as are they from the horse cars.
 is now on exhibition here and so we'll
 is it liked that it is proposed to re-
 place all the old cars as fast as they
 wear out. with this type. The chief
 feature about the new car is that
 there is no step to climb to get
 aboard nor any platform. Entrance
 and exit are amidships through
 side door and about the only old
 fashioned idea retained in the new
 contrivance is the compulsory pay ment of five cents for a ride. Even this is accomplished in a new way since the conductor sits on a high chair opposite the automatic side door The motorman likewise will occupy an upholstered seat. like a
 chaufeur's. where nobody can get at him. Perhaps the most remark able feature of the new car is that it cannot be started while passen- : gers are getting on or off. As long
 as the door is open the motorman cannot make the car budge. But as ? soon as the door is closed, it is his 5 turn to have free rein. and passen- 2 gers need not try to force open the 2 door and hop off while the car is ? going. The door is inopenable until t the car stops. One of the fanciest l arrangements has to doswith the ven- : tilation. In winter when windows are e closed the fresh air will be auto 2 matically regulated by the number of e people on board The car looks al- t together unlike anything that ever . went on wheels through the streets
 of New York.
 r Beauty as a habit may become the n slogan of this years June brides if n an opinion concurred in by ma I jority of the judges of the appellate e division of the supreme court here e receives general notice, since 1t IS held that the character and quantity e of clothing a married woman Is in
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