To the Editor of the "Noatu-Carsa Darcy News."
Srz,—Some time before the trams started ronning a good deal was said about the objection foreigners would have to being mixed up with Chinese, and it was generally thought that this "objection would p: serious obstacle in the way of the success of the Company.
This has been proved to be quite absard and now the trouble is that foreigners crowd in among the Chinese and oust them from the second class compartment, leaving the first class comparatively empty. This affects the company detrimentally in two ways. 'A large portion of each car rans empty and the 2nd class gets filled up with a class of passengers who pay less than ordinary Chinese, Each foreigner carries book of tickets at fifty for " dollar and thus travels st two cents " section, while the poor Chinese pays three cents.
Being a wealthy man the excess first-class fare of five cents or one peony fora mile and salt does not seriously affect me. So on the few occasion on which I patronize the trams I travel first and derive considerable
boerd the tram at the Ist class end. pleasure from sadyieg those 2nd close passengers, principally foreigners
I am travelling in towards the Bund alone in a first-class compartment when the tram stops, and several meo come on board. No, 1 walks quietly through into the second class with an apologetic look; No. 2 makes some remark about wanting to smoke and follows. No. 3 has a pipe tightly clenched in his jaws and treating me to a defiant scowl he strides into the second class. I can almost hear his unspoken thought, "Don't dare to think I go there except to smoke" Nos. 4 and 5 are friends of mine and sit down beside me. Very soon No. 4 says "Halle, there's old Brown in there. I must zo and talk to the old fellow," and off he goes. Meanwhile No. talk quite easily about the rise in Langkats and fall in wharves and such interesting topics till he observes the conductor approaching when he gets up and says in a casual sort of way, " Well, old chap, I guess there will be ladies in here shortly, so T'll go io there and have a smoke,' and away he goes to the 2nd class where I see him two seconds later puffing like s chimney evidently quite unconscious of the presence of two ladies opposite him; while No. 4, his conversation with "Old Biown" exhausted, is reading s book. Now all these men hed books of tram tickets, fifty for a dollar, in their pockets, und there notice in the 2nd class prohibiting smoking, and why should ladies be driven by tobacco smoke from the 2nd class and denied the privilege of econo mining if they want to? There is too great a difference between Ist and 2nd class fares. The first class can never the second donias cater goas be popular when it costs times tone mile is much too cheap. A first jelass fare of four cents anda second class of three cents would, I feel sure, meet the case and suit the public and enable the company soon to pay a dividend to Yours, ete., September 5.
To the Editor of the "Noara-Carwa Dairy News."
Sin,—I was one of the unfortunate sufferers in Tramcar No. 28 bound for ter Road at 6 p.m. yesterday, Friday. Before reaching the Garden Bridge section, all the seats in the 2nd class compartment were fall and over with some twenty people.
However, at the Bridge about eight or ten more Chinese passengers were allowed to crowd in from both entrances and squeezed themselves in the middle pace, standing. The Inspector who, jumped off another car at this junction probably saw this, but allowed it to go The air at once became unbearable and two lady passengers were specially sick of it, one, a European lady exclaiming with good cause that she could not breathe and was quite disgusted. In spite of her remonstrances the conductor allowed two or three more Chinese passengers to get on. Does this man, whose namber is, I faintly recollect, 145, know his business 7 Besides being a great annoyance and menace to health to company may often be defrauded of its income through this over-crowding, as it was very difficalt for the conductor to squeeze through from one to the other end of the apartment to collect fares, aod it was also a difficulty for passengers to alight when they wished.
The company forbid leaning out of the windows on account of danger 60 that we were obliged to breath this! unhealthy sir till Defence Creek was reached. Were this to happen in winter with windows closed, one would get a short experience of the " Black Hole' in place of a comfortable tram ride.
Unless the Company sees that instractions are carried out, what is the good of the notice that the space is limited for twenty passengers? An accidental over-sight of permitting one for two more passengers is excusable, bot in this instance there were eight or ten too many.
Friends and myself have experienced similar annoyance once on a Yangtszepoo car so I cannot refrain from making it known this time.
While the company is contemplating increasing fares and reducing distances to meet patronage, none the less should they try to afford comfort to their patrons. am, ete.
A Onixzen Surrenms.
September 5.
To the Editor of the "Noata-Caixa Day News."
suggestions re the Tramway question.
Lear mogegear) to make " few 1.—That the sections remain as are. They are convenient; we have got accustomed to them and a number of small sections would be confusing.
2.—That the fares remain as they are, with one exception, i.e., the second class fare to be three cents fo section. This would make the ence between first and second less,—five centa and three cents would be in better proportion than five cents and two cents as at present. The first class would probably then be more patronized.
If, however, the rise in ithe second class (say in the section Bund to Defence Creek) is from two cents to six cents the Chinese might give up using trams and go back to their ricshas, Tam, ete., "Aw Apuingn ov tam Tax September 6.
To the Editor of the, "Norre-Caiva Darty News."
Sim,—Amidst all this controversy re trams may I make e suggestion? Why not have separate care for Foreigners and for Chinese, with one class for each, and the same fares, painting the cars different colours so that they could be easily recognized. Foreigners would be glad, and the Chinese would not resent it, ae they are no more eager for our company than we are for theirs, i.e., the class who mostly use the cats. For my own part I travel 2nd close hen practicable; but as often as not it is decidedly objectionable. Certainly about time that some improvements were made, for at present there seems neither order, system nor regulation.
The other evening I wanted to go for the B.W. Road, empty as the hour was 9, and than one for the Yangterepoo crawled along, which of course, Again, why are second-class passengers allowed to pass through the first-class What do we pay first-class fares for, if not for peace and seclusion? And why are the cars allowed to be overcrowded often both within and without The bell ringing is another abomination, Those fellows who manipulate them exercise no discretion whatever. When there is danger they ring; and whea there is danger they ring with tenfold intensity.
To conclude, on the whole the trams are s distinct nnisanco—I had almost ssid s post in the Settlement.
They may be all very well in big cities, bat how a people could ever submit to have their roads destroyed, their nerves rained, and their lives hourly jeopardized in a little crampodap town like this, where there is really no such thing as distance surpasses my ken, In the meantime we eave them, however, and bare got to make the best or the worst of them.
Tam, ete, TTo the Editor of the "Noata-Cama Dany News."
Sta,—I read the letter from your they e of Europace ride ad ataes at" Outspoken" on' the jerowding in to the second class compart.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.