CITY TRAMS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVII, Issue 59, 11 March 1909, Page 3

CITY TRAMS.

THE BROOKLYN SERVICE. COUNCIL'S FUTURE POLICiT. THE CARRYING CAPACITY OF CARS. The limitation of the number of persons carried by cars on the Brooklyn section to- the seating capacity of the cars haa been, and continues to be, a fruitful source of trouble to residents in the hills, intending passengers holding one view, conductors holding various views ; but no views seem to be in accord. For example, a car may have written up in it "accommodation for 40 passengers," while its eight seats are occupied by 32 passengers, and some conductors count it a full car, and no matter where, or the time, or what the weather, fares are refused. In the reputed 40 passenger cars a general squeeze may be made so that the seats — a tight fit for four — may take five -passengers, a proceeding that cannot but be objectionable to lady passengers. There would be room for the extra passengers to' stapd, but that is not permitted by regulations, and some of the conductors peremptorily order the surplus passengers off the car, but they would be allowed to remain if they cared to squeeze themselves in -between the already close-fitting four passengers. As an instance of the strictly literal manner ir which orders are carried out by conductors on this line, a "box car" with 24 passengers on board on Tuesday refused two passengers at Ohiroroad, notwithstanding that there was ample room for them without undue inconvenience to the passengers'. The tram service generally has been the subject of much consideration on the part of, the Brooklyn Municipal Electors' Association, and it is expected that a 'arge crop of questions"" relating to it will be placed before candidates for the coming municipal elections. AN APPEAL. Mr. Stuart ' Richardson, engineer and manager of the tramways, has been appealed to by the association, and he has replied at length. With regard to accommodation, he wrote that the single truck "palace" and "Hongkong" type of cars are used when practicable in place of the smaller carrying box cars. The present service of cars from Manners-street to Brooklyn from 5 o'clock consists of two cars at 5.2, three at 5.12, and three at 5.22, which, Mr. Richardson states, "is about the maximum wo can run with the present timetable." Notwithstanding this service, tho rush after 5, and sometimes at other hours at the Manners-street end of the line, is always unseemly, "and calculated to provoke a breach of the peace," while it is sometimes dangerous, passengers being so , eager to get a seat as to be unmindful of the heavy traffic passing this narrow spot, at certain hours ot the day. Mr. Richardson acknowledges the accumulation of passengers which results from the cars running at ten-minute intervals, but "this is being looked into," he continued, "with a view to making some alteration." "Instructions," he goes on to say, "have • been issued and frequently repeated to conductors to make enquiries at Manners-street for the purpose of finding out those passengers who do not wish to ascend the hill. This is generally carried out - by the conductor, for non-observance of this instruction has been and will be taken up by this office." BIGGER CARS. The matter of running sixty-passenger cars instead of the smaller ones on the Brooklyn line is being considered by the council; but the 60-passenger cars at E resent in use in the service are too eavily built for running up Brooklyn Hill without alteration. Information is being obtained on this point, says Mr. Richardson, from the makers of the car equipment. With regard to the use of open or Hongkong cars in wet weather — a cause of complaint of passengers voiced by the association — these have been used, as Mr. Richardson points out, on account of their greater carrying capacity. It is a case of using them or the smaller box cars. The association also wished for information on the proposal to run all Brooklyn carb through to Government statioii, in common with cars on other lines. But Mr. Richardson points out that there are already more cars than necessary running through Lambtonquay, and the running of the additional service would simply add unprofitable mileage. In /fact, he adds, the running through to Government station before 9 a.m. is now carried out at a loss, as very few passengers avail themselves of these cars. With regard to the extension of the line to the Post Office, that is a question for the council to ' decide.