The New York herald., 1922-03-17
INDECENT CROWDING
IN SUBWAY, SHEARN
SAYS,I DELIBERATE
Transit Board Shows Ser
vice Is Cut Down in Many
Rush Hours.
NO REASON IS GIVEN
Twelve Car Trains, Too Big
for Some Stations, Sug-
gested, Though.
SKIMPING POINTED OUT
5000 Seats and 1890 Pas
sengers Are Totals for
One Period.
SKIMPING POINTED OUT

Indecent and deliberate" were
the adjectives used publicly yesterday
by Clarence ]. Shearn, special counsel
to the Transit Commission, to char
acterize subway congestion In the non
rush as well as at the peak of the
rush hour periods.
His comment was provoked by the
introduction in evidence in the In
terborough investigation of the charted
results of more than eighty official
studies made of actual traffic condi-
tions during different periods of the
day at typical points on the East and
West Side subways. There observa-
tions were made within the last three
months by experienced inspectors OF
the commission. Their tabulated re-
suits were presented by Charles S.
Standfast, supervising inspector.
An observation taken at the Ninety
sixth street station of southbound ex-
press train service on the Broadway and
each twenty minute period after 40
A. NJ. the overlooking increased and that
the rush hour crowding was really ex-
tended over three hours because Of
skimped service. whereas the road and
equipment were worked to actual ca
pacity for only single hour. In the
period from to Z 20 A. NJ. there were
$3.50 passengers, of whom 1850 were
standing. That Is an average OF
standees of thirty to a car, allowing
fifty as the seating capacity OF each
car. But only eight express trains were
run within this period.
Crovding From 7,2O to TAO.
During the next period. from z 40 to
40, the number Of passengers increased
to 1920, Of whom one-half or fifty
four to each car, were standing. Within
the next twenty minutes $40 of 1880
were without seats. or an average OF
eighty-one standing in each car. The
peak Of the morning rush was registered
in the period from s to 30. when ther,
were 17,140 passengers, OF whom 1l.l4O
stood, or ninety-three straphangers to
each car At that time the line was
operating to maximum capacity with ten
car trains.
1t was these and the figures that fol-
lowed that caused Judge Shearn, ad-
siding Commissioner. to say:
This condition is not only indecent.
II is simply deliberate. If you look at
this schedule in the period between and
100 where the overcrowding begins I.
become very noticeable, you find that
they run only eight trains in that twenty
minute interval, whereas when you get
down to the period from to ~ they
are operating twelve trains In that
twenty minute interval.
"If they can run twelve trains be-
tween and 20 they can run tweiVe
between 7 and 1920 If in these earlier
periods they did what the record shows
thew can do, many persons would be
readily influenced TO abandon the twenty
minute period of greatest crush and
would take trains in an earlier or later
nor,od because the conditions would be
much better. whereas now they nave no
lnducement for making any change.
Clear 10 Gen. O'Ryan.
THAT Is quite clear to me- said Cen
Organ. o, ..o
NOW" continued Judge Shearn, be
tween $40 and $40. which Is almost tne
height OF the rush in the morning ana
when there were 1900 seats provided, as
the figures show, for 1880 passengers,
thav ran ONLY eight ten car trains IN
that interval. although they have SHOWN
in the previous twenty minutes that "
was entirely feasible to run tWelVe ten
car trains
Henry J. Smith of counsel for the IN
terborouph interposad TO say that the
connany's schedule called for twelve
trains in that period but sometimes
YOU cannot push them through on time
IL the crowd is dense"
I'm the first period I called attention
to-" retorted the examiner. the one
from Z to 100 A. NJ, where they ran
only eight ten car trains. Mr.. smith
saws that Is not n period when there Is
anv Indecent overcrowding at all-there
are only ESQ persons standing out or
the 6.ss0 traveling-so he cannot claim
Il is due 70 overcrowding in that in
stance that they do not get more trains
through"
1000 seats for 8,83O People.
The period from Q to 9:O A. M. was
tho first. II appeared. when the extreme
rush begins to abate. but in that period
there were supplied only 1900 seats tor
$3.50 passengers carried.
"There Is the first period after the
worst crush of the day. said Judge
Shearn, "and what do you find? You
find them dropping from twelve trains
to the twenty minute period. whic,. ~
one more than their schedule calls Tor.
TO eight trains and compelling $3.50 peo-
pie TO stand.
"rf they had run eleven trains in
stead of eight in that Interval they
would have provided seats for every
passenger and would have so improved
conditions that, IL II were regular
practice, people would naturally be
drawn out of that preceding period
when the rush is terrible. SO II seems
TO me the commission can materially
improve this situation by compelling
this maximum service to be afforded
during the three hour rush period in
each direction, instead OF during only
one hour each way morning and even
ing"
In the period from 20 to 40 only