Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-09-21

hO III Iull says
The Ruling
The complaint, which was filed
January 20, 1918. was couched in
very general terms. 1t averred: That
the employees of said company (Har-
rlsburg Railways Company are vio-
lating the law by carrying passengers
on the front platforms of cars to
the danger of its passengers and pc
destrians and others using the streets
upon which it operates. This COM
pany has not maintained its sched-
ules for at least a year, nor fur
nished heat during the cold weather
to keep the passengers sufficiently
warm. An insufflciency of cars has
resulted in overcrowding and the
great discomfort of those using its
cars
The answer stated that by gen.
eral regulation and specific instruc-
tion employees on cars have been en-
Joined from carrying riders on the
front platforms. although some diff
ficulty in enforcing the rules was ex-
perienced.on the Steelton line during
the severe weather of last winter be-
cause of the refusal of passengers
to comply: that the schedules were
maintained with regularity except
during abnormal weather conditions
existing, following the early part of
December of 1917, during which
period the only portion of the streets
open for vehicular travel was the
street car tracks; that cars were
heated except upon six occasions in
December when shortage of coal
necessitated the curtailment in the
use of electric current for heating in
order to maintain power for car
movements. AS TO the insufficiency
Of hn Sfafnd fhof
new cars were procured and placed
in service during the year 1917 and
five others were ordered in Septem-
ber of that year but had not been de-
livered.
Cars Were Stopped
AT the hearing the complainant
was given full latitude in present
ing other grounds of complaint con,
cerning service, and our attention
was directed by witnesses to occa-
sions of discourtesy to passengers by
car employees and to the action of
the latter in refusing to stop at
crossings for waiting passengers dur
ing the inclement winter weather. It
was testified that on one occasion
six cars passed by Mrs. Bair with
out stopping for her. but that in
stance was successfully contradicted
at -ater hearing by Mrs. Bair her
self, who. when called as witness,
testified that she was waiting for a
car going in the opposite direction
from those mentioned. and that
there was no refusal to stop. She
stated that she took the first car 60
ing in the direction she desired to
travel.
The rule requiring the front plat
forms to be freed from passengers is
one relating to safety of operation.
1t is for the protection of the public
as we'll as employees and should be
adhered to. The public being largely
the beneficiaries of the rule should
aid the company in securing ooedl-
ence to it. The motorman's attention
should not be diverted from the per-
formance of his duties, or the free
dom of his movements in car control
interfered with. by the presence of
passengers on the platform where he
operates The rule rises in impor-
tance when weather conditions are
bad, during which the motorman is
called to exercise special alertness.
Conduct of Crews
"The conduct of car crews toward
passengers is an important adjunct
of adequate and convenient service.
This is a matter which the director
general of railroads has emphasized
in a recent order calling upon rail-
road employees to be courteous to
train riders, and it has ekual i'm
portance and place OF emphasis Win
respect to street railway service. The
testimony in this case does not lead
us to the conclusion that the criti-
cisms in this respect is charSeable
against respondents employees gen.
orally. The company and its en-
ployes are, however. likely to be
Judged by the conduct of few of
the latter who fail to realize their
public responsibility. Should there
be further cause of complaint. it can
be readily brought to the attention
of the company officials and this
Commission if aggrieved passengers
will report the number of the offend
ing employe. the number of the car
and the hour of its occurrence. The
company, as we'll as the employees,
has n duty to perform which cannot
be discharged except by the mainte-
nance of reasonable and proper dis
cipline. secured by frequent car trip
inspections.
"Car congestion at rush hours is
more frequently experienced than it
is easily remedied, and 1t is as often
a Effected bv routing and scheduling as
il is by the car carrying capacity.
These are matters which are receiv-
ing the Commissions attention in
another proceeding and are inter-
woven with questions involving eX-
tensions of lines and double-tracking
in certain localities which will be
controlled in part by the rearrange-
ment of service when the plans for
the Capitol Park have been COM
pleted.
Flat Wheeled Cars
"The running of fiat wheel cars
was objected to by one of complain
ants witnesses. 1t goes without say
ing that such cars are as annoying
to the passengers as they are OBJ
iectionable to the residents along the
streets over which they are oper-
ated. The remedy is not difficult nor
the time required long to correct.
such cars should be promptly re-
moved from service and repaired.
The increased number of cars placed.
in service last year andd during the
nresent sceason, totaling fifteen, has
lad 10 a material improvement in
service and is an answer to that
feature of the complaint. Cars
should stop at designated streets for
the purpose of taking on passengers,
aIthough there is no apparent rea-
son in matter of convenience or
service why, in order to equalize the
Ioa ding or to maintain the schedule,
messengers should not take second
car following the first in close Sc
ouence. a fact recognized by COM
plainant.
''The major portion of the COM