Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1916-08-04
WHY CONDUCTORS ARE PLACED 0N
 FRONT Of CARS
Pine Bluff Company Be lieves Practice Makes for
 Greater Safety.


 Relative to the request by a commit tee from the Central Trades council, that the city council take steps to have the Pine Bluff company place street car conductors on the rear platform, instead of in the front of the car, as at present, the following was given out yesterday by the street car company.
 "Thc street railway company claims that tho latest method of operating all pear-side- stop cars is with both tue motorman and conductor on the front platform. The following cities use this system: Chicago, Buffalo, Phila- delphia, Astoria, Ore, Hagerstown, Md, Mansfield, O., Stafford, Pa.
 "The railway company considers it is much safer with motorman and conductor on the front end of car, as it allows passengers to board the car at the front end and the motorman can see when passengers have board- cd car and does not have to wai for signal from conductor, as would be necessary if the conductor was on the rear end.
 "From December 7, 1914, to July 7, 1915, when the company operated 12 cars with two men, it had 10 step accidents and total of S6 accidents of all nature. From December z, 1915, until July 7, 1916, it operated 12 cars with one man and did not have a single step accident and had total of only 56 accidents of all nature. This shows conclusively that the front entrance and exit is by far the safest for the public. It seems that it is not a question of the safety of the public, but question of the council consider
 ing the wishes of the Trades council rather than the riding public. The city council on July 6, 1914, passed ordi- nance No. 1850, requiring the Pine Bluff company to stop its cars on the near-side of the street. This was at the time that both motormen and con- ductors were on cars. with the conduc- tor on the rear end. It caused so much dissatisfaction thai the company had to go back to the far-side stop. Upon starting operating 12 cars with one man in December, 1915, the near-side stop was again adopted. Tine company has not received a single complaint from the riding public on the one-man system. There is no question but what it has worked cut entirely satis- factory.
 Conductor Assists MOtorman.
 "When the conductor is on the front platform he can assist the motorman by always being on the lookout for passengers coming off the side streets, and for vehicles driving onto the car tracks, where as on the rear end he is useless. If any of the aldermen have been in any of the large cities and have ridden on the new type pay as-you-enter cars they have seen this system used. It is not used except on the latest type pay-as-you-enter cars.
 "The conductor is not in the way of passengers boarding cars, as he stands back of the fare box, and the cars used in Pine Bluff have unusually large entrance platforms.
 "The railway company has endcav- ored to give much better service in Pine Bluff than is given in any city in this section of the country of it's size, and it is immaterial to the company whether eight cars with two men or Twelve cars with one man are oper- ated. except from the point of service, as the revenue has not decreased by taking four cars off of the street in proportion to the expense ofo peratlae the four additional cars, and the main tenance is saved on the four cars, and also the overhead and track mainten- ance is decreased 33 13 per cent. Short Schedule Develops City. "The decrease of the schedule to eight cars does not effect the railway company any more than any other property owner, as there is no ques- tion but what good street railway system is one of the biggest assets that municipality can have. It tends to increase the population and the suburban districts by having fast time and short schedules, so that the pub lie may get to and from their busi- ness in the shortest possible time. "As the company's revenue has been materially decreased owing tc the privately owned automobiles, it is question of either giving the public good service with 12 cars and one man on the car. or less service wi,h cars and two men on the cars. 1t requires the same number of employees to operate 12 cars with one man as il does to operate cars with two men | It is now matter to be settled be- tween the riding public and the city council.
 "rhere are now over 100 cities in the United States which are operating one-man cars. TeNarkana and Hot Springs operate one-man cars cN clusively. and Little Rock operate: three lines with one-man cars, and g number of Texas cities do likewise" | of ,I