New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-05-16

1890 and similarly from 10 $3.50 in the evening
Into that little City of London, whore less than
10000 sleep at night and they mostly on the
eastern edge toward WhitechapeD, there enter
every day over one million persons and one hun
drcd thousand vehicles, not all the latter, OF
course being passenger vehicles. This exodus,
with all the surface congestion that j; signhed in
the narrow old streets-for there is not one rea-
sonably good street in the City OF London had 10
be borne in mind by Stanley when devising means
for relieving the congestion The motor omnibus
is the essence Of London surface work; II IS
double-deckcd, like the Fifth Avenue stages, and
holds thirtyfour people. The strctest possible IN
functions are given TO the police not TO allow one
more than the thirty-four TO take their places in
the omnibus Dismissal is the lot Of the con
ductor whose negligence causes an infracton Of
the law No franchise, it is true, need be secured
bv anv one who thinks there is money in the
motor omnibus business.
THE LONDON COUNTY COUNCIL CAN ALSO
HATE.
Subject to the vehicles being safe and easily
manuuvred, the streets as free as air TO all
who will. On the other hand the south side Of
the River Thames is the home Of the middle and
lower classes for whom the London County Coun-
ell operate their streetcars at a loss and as the
council is the body governing the police, over
croWdng on their streetcars IS permitted 10 a
degree Efficiency has therefore to play with one
hand tied by politics; the London County Council
hates the omnibuses. The newspapers which
stand or fall by the Democratic party in the
Council never leave the traffic trust moments
peace on course, the streetcar enthusiast Will
never sec good point in the motor omnibus, and
the advocate for the motor omnibus permits him
self the same contrary ignorant enthusiasm. II
is the party system of politics brought into com
rerce.
In order to get at the true basis of comparison
between New York and London, it may be said
that two out of the four determining factors Of
efficiency are to the advantage Of New York so
far as the underground transportation is con
cerned namely speed and service by watch lat
ter frequency OF operation although not relief
Of numbers awaiting transportation) Is to be
understood. The system OF expresses on the sub
way by which the lnterborough people claim they
can take the passenger from South Ferry to 2z2d
Street at an average rate Of twenty miles an hour
is certainly the finest in the world, so FAR as
these two factors are concerned. And s, far as
safety is concerned there Is probably real diff
ference between the transportation Of the two
capitals. As 10 comfort, though there is real
difference a difference brought about probably
Englishman and tho New York American. Broad
IL speaking, luxury does not exist in England;
the fetch Of the unconscious worshipper Is COM
fort Luxury means getting Q hundred cents and
bonus out OF life's dollar. Comfort consists in
tolerating existing circumstances. Carried TO an
illogical development, the search for luxury re-
suits in continuous movement; the search for
comfort merely results in rest and laziness. The
Londoner pays for and gets not only transporta-
ton but seat as well.
THE MEASURE OF EFFICIENCY is THE
PEAK OF THE LOAD.
To the New Yorker the time spent in going
from home TO business and from business TO
home is all wasted. lie therefore hates the
subway; he Will crowd and jostle and stand up
for half an hour in the utter discomfort of the
express rather than wait another few minutes
for half empty local train. And 10 the Inter
borough this Characteristic is almost asset.
The measure Of the efficiency Of any public ser
vice should be the peak OF the load" en-
gineers say. II is so with electric light and with
water. Would any remain content if at the
bath hour the water trckled miserably from the
faucets? Would the fact that everybody else
using water at the same moment be accepted
an excuse?
The lights burn just brightly at o'clock
al night at in the morning. although the
amount Of current called for at the former hour
is probably four times great as in the latter
hour. Yet you imagine the electric light con-
sumers toeratng the discomfort Of dim light
1T o'clock because everybody else's lights were
turned on? So with transportation. The peak
Of the load is the rush hour, known factor, the
obstacle TO be overcome. Does the ln,erborough
DO its duty and does the uptown dwoer do his
duty? Here is typical Of trip taken
with New York man living in Harlem We
started from Thirty third Street on a local train
labelled Local, 18Th Street" and changed at
Grand Central The first express that came along
was Lenox Avenue express, and we changed
again at Ninety-siXth Street to get into an e1-