Evening journal., 1915-12-29
CAR SMOKING TO Be
Conference subject
Traction Co. HeSitateS About
Making Health Board
Recommendation Effective
OFFICIAL TELLS
OF IMPROVEMENTS

Philadelphia traction Company that
smoking on all trolley cars operated
in this city be banned, the order has
not yet been made effective by the
trolley company. In speaking of the
recommendation today it was ad-
mitted by officials of the trolley COM
pany that the order would not be
met without opposition by the riders,
especially workingmen.
When Thomas w. Wilson, general
manager of the company, was spoken
to about the recommendation this
morning, he said that a conference
most likely would be arranged be-
tween the health officials and the
trolley officials of the company in a
short time to discuss the boards
recommendation
Mr.. Wilson also spoke of the work
being done by the traction company
in an effort to prevent delays in
schedules.
He said:
"The patronage of the cars prior to
the middle of the past summer was at
very low ebb due to the depressed
business condition. Within the past
few months the travel has increased
TO a higher demand than had ever
existed in Wilmington before. This
increase was due to abnormal cOndi-
tions of trade which could not be
foreseen. The greatest increase of
traffic has taken place during the
morning and night rush hours due
TO the greatly increased activity in
the industrial plants, resulting in em-
ployment of larger number of em-
ploYes During the other hours of the
day travel is practically normal so
that substantially all the increase in
travel occurs during the rush or peak
hours. During non-rush hours car ser
vice is ample. the overcrowding oc-
curing during peak hours only This
was further acceutuated by the holi-
day shopping season While there
has been an abnormal increase in
travel at certain hours as has been
before stated the character of such
business is such that the increase in
men and equipment made necessary
is out of IL proportion to the return
on such increase.
Operate 81 Cars.
THE Traction Company is now
operating total of S5 cars. including
regulars and trippers; 81 of this mum
her are scheduled on regular runs, %
being trippers. some of which run as
high as five and six hours per day.
This number Of cars operated viz,
S.. is practically all of the available
equipment so that when these cars
are on the street only three cars re-
main i'm the barn for overhauling or
repairs. There has been no curtail-
ment of the number Of cars operated
since the consolidation of the two
systems, although some considerable
duplication of trackage has become
non-operative. thus leaving a greater
number of cars operated per mile OF
track than before the consolidation
This permits the operation of cars
where they will give most efficient
service All available cars formerly
owned by the two systems are now IN
operation in Wilmington, the cars OF
= each company being interchanged on
the various routes
"In the exercise of what was
deemed prudence and foresight in the
preparation for the increase OF travel
or October last a contract was
made with the j. G Brill Company
= for the building, for use i'm Whining
ton, of fifteen new steel cars, double
trick. seating "A passengers. ThesI
cars were promised for delivery in
= 90 days Difficulty in securing mate
rial has caused delay in manufac
ture and the Brill Company is now
able to promise shipment on this
order February IS next. The addition
of fifteen cars to the system will no
only add to the number of cars op
Grated but owing TO the increased
capacity, these cars will be able tC
care for greater proportiona
amount of travel. The addition o.
new cars will enable better care t6
be taken of tho older equipment a
TO cleanliness and reliability o
equipment. In 1911 the Traction Com
many purchased II cars, with the ad
dition in 1915 of Is OF a total of 20
The Peoples line purchased II cars II
> Is g. This means that the equipmen
in cars will have been incres SEE
about fifty per cent since 1871.
Short Of Operators.
complaints about overcrowdin
occur during the rush hour, calling to
the operation of % trippers as outline
above. As these trippers are not opel
ated for full day, it makes IT diilicu
for the con any TO secure the necessar
trained men, and this addition to th
regular day service of % cars, produce
congestion OF tfaiNc
"A number of these trippers are seheC
uled to leave the various manufacturer
plants together and are operated owe
the various lines under very close heaC
way. giving the appearance 20 an ouf
slider. who Is not familiar with cond
tions. of cars running in lunches lf
operation of from four 10 five trippel
: to the Hagley yards of the dupont Con
panv. which travel back and forth L
gether three times a day. give the publ
the impression tha' tie West Eight
street service is erratic, although sue
is not the case.
ON November. 1915. the number {
i = passengers carried increased abot
100000. This does not include en-
ployes. letter carriers, policemen q
transfer passengers. The free trans
fers issued during November, 1871
were practically 10000 compare
\ with $4,000 for November, 1915. or a
increase Of $1,000 or twenty-three pc
cent. Of the free transfers The L
h tai increase for the month therefor
has been about 32S.000 or an increas
-of about 1000 per day. It is fair
assume that the increase on Sunday
practically nil so that the averas
8 weekday increases would be highe
or this 1000 increase per day Z
least 5000 occurs during the rus
hours. From the foregoing it will [