be laid down in regard to it. As a general rule, in railway enterprises of magnitude, the more interests can be combined the better, both for the public and the companies, both interests. being nearly identical. But this proposition can only be admitted with this qualification, that the conduct and management of the traffic should be suitably restrained by legislative safeguards. There is always more danger of an overgrown monopoly becoming dangerous to other interests of a rival character, just in proportion to its magnitude, and the absorbing and overwhelming nature of its influence upon the other vital forces of society. And this is said without intending to impute any lower or different motives, as the governing principle of action, in such extensive combinations of power, than in those of more moderate proportions; all that is meant, is, that dangerous tendencies commonly increase, in the compound ratio of their magnitude and continuance. It is sometimes observed, too, that such combinations of power in the seat of a great metropolis, where the other agencies of social and civil life and progress naturally centre, are more dangerous, and more insidious, in their overshadowing influence, than where it is more extended in its range, and consequently more liable to be checked and interrupted by counter or conflicting interests and influences. From all these considerations, and others which we have no time to name, we conclude, that while in the infancy of such enterprises there will generally be too much of a tendency to minute subdivision of conflicting interests, there commonly grows up, as they become popular and permanent, too great a tendency towards consolidation. This seems to us more objectionable in regard to street railways, whose property is attached to the easement of the public highway, than in those public works whose franchise attaches to an easement vested in the grantees. In New York, Brooklyn, and Philadelphia the street railway companies are very numerous; and, in most respects, we regard this as more desirable, in regard to street railways, than too extensive consolidation. 9. The general power in our commission to examine "into the whole matter of the conveyance of passengers through the streets by horse-cars and omnibuses," will embrace a question raised by the counsel before us, whether we might not with pro priety recommend the exclusion of omnibuses from all the streets where railway tracks were laid. If this were done, by a legislative enactment, it might become difficult to satisfy the carriers by these different modes of conveyance, in regard to the streets which each should occupy; and thus be liable to lead to constant bickering and contention upon the subject. It would undoubtedly be wise, if practicable, to exclude both these classes of vehicles from the most crowded thoroughfares, unless they were of such width as to accommodate all the travel without obstruction or confusion. But the omnibuses, while they injure the streets more than any other class of vehicles, being of great weight and driven with considerable rapidity, do not obstruct the other travel in narrow and crowded streets so much as the horse-cars, for reasons already indicated. It would, therefore, be an invidious and unjust discrimination, to exclude the omnibuses from the streets most frequented by passengers, while the cars were allowed to pass there. It seems to us impossible to define, by legislation, any general rule upon the subject. We think it should be left to the discretion of the municipal authorities. 10. In regard to "the manner of using street railway tracks in the winter," and clearing them of ice and snow, we have not deemed it important, or safe, to recommend any additional legislative provisions. That is a subject, where prompt action and summary powers, in the municipal boards, are more indispensable than in regard to any other matter connected with the subject. And although there is some liability to have the companies visited with hasty and injudicious orders in this respect, thus exposing them to considerable inconvenience and loss, at times, and possibly, in some cases, to a needless extent; it did not appear to us that there could be much temptation in such cases to exercise bad faith or injustice towards the railway companies, by the municipal boards; and as the interest involved is not one of great magnitude, and we could not obtain much confidence that any legislative provision, or any other recommendation from us, could be of much avail towards remedying any possible evils which might arise in the case, we deemed it wise to leave the matter as it is. There was some testimony before us tending to show, that in some cases, the municipal boards had permitted the railway companies to have the entire duty of removing the ice and snow from the street, so that it did not interfere with the travel in ordinary vehicles, and that this had proved useful to the public and economical to the companies. And it seemed to us not improbable that some such arrangement might be advantageously adopted in many instances, and that it ultimately would be, if found the most beneficial which could be devised. We think this matter, like many others of a kindred character, will be likely, ultimately, to regulate itself, by the exercise of judicious supervision on the part of the municipal boards, in a much better manner than it can be done by specific legislative provisions, until at least there has been time for more perfect experience, in order to reach the best modes of action. 11. In regard to "the motive power to be employed," we have before intimated, that we had extensive opportunities, during our visit in New York, Philadelphia, and other places, to witness the operation of steam as a motive power, in what are called the dummy engines, upon street railways. We should not probably satisfy the desires or expectations of those most nearly concerned, unless we gave our views upon the subject more in detail than what would seem necessary, out of regard merely to the limited extent of the specific recommendations ultimately made by us, upon this particular question. (1.) We examined the operation of one of these engines in New York, and one in Philadelphia, and one in Hoboken, New Jersey, and rode after each of them for considerable distances, and we received a good deal of testimony upon the subject from reliable sources. This kind of motive power is now in operation in the immediate vicinity of Boston, and we need not describe the mode of its operation in detail. It is unquestionably a somewhat more economical means of locomotion than that of horsepower, and we make no question that it will ultimately come into very extensive use in various ways. The thing is, at present, somewhat in its infancy, although invented some years since by Mr. Long, the patentee, who is an ingenious, learned, and experienced machinist, having maintained with universal acceptance a high position in the engineer corps attached to the navy, and who * 249 has expended much time and labor in bringing the machine now in use to the greatest attainable perfection. But it would not be wonderful if still greater advance should be made in that direction, and perhaps, ultimately, of such a character as greatly to affect the extent of the use of the present heavy locomotive engines upon steam railways. (2.) It has seemed to us most unquestionable, that these dummy engines would very soon be brought into general use upon the street railways in rural and surburban districts. They seemed, upon repeated experiments in stopping and starting, to be even more completely under the easy control of the engineer than an ordinary two-horse team is under that of the driver. There would be no difficulty in this respect, in running these engines in any portion of the most crowded thoroughfares of the cities. But we apprehend there will be other embarrassments in their use, in such places, which will prevent it for a considerable time to come. There is something, apparently, in the noiseless mode of the approach of these engines, which has thus far rendered them frightful to horses,—almost or quite as much so as the common locomotive steam-engine. And from the same cause we should apprehend they would be likely to produce accidents. Persons would, we fear, be constantly liable to injury before being made aware of their approach in the streets, when very much crowded. From these considerations and some others, perhaps, we should be apprehensive it might be a considerable time before these engines would become of common use in the crowded streets in our cities. But these views and opinions are merely conjectural, and may not be justified by future experience. (3.) They occupy but small space, and possess great power in ascending steep grades to the extent of three or four hundred feet in the mile. They will readily propel upon favorable grades, such as are required upon the steam roads, two or more passenger cars with from seventy-five to one hundred and fifty or more passengers, at the rate of from twelve to twenty miles an hour. We have intended to make all our statements in regard to the use and power of these engines with caution, so as to be sure and not exceed the facts. (4.) From all we saw and heard we came to the conclusion that the public mind was already prepared to afford these dummy engines a fair opportunity to prove their claims to public confidence. And it seems to us not improbable that, at no very remote day, these engines will be the most economical motive power in all the short and light passenger traffic upon steam railways, and will come into general use on street railways, unless it be in crowded thoroughfares. 12. In regard to "the systems of commutation tickets to be adopted," there was a good deal said and testified before us, and much conflict of opinion; and no mode has occurred to us whereby we could hope to reconcile these conflicting opinions. It is probable a good deal of this contrariety of opinion results from the fact that this matter of commutation tickets, or checks given upon one road to enable passengers to pass over the line of another company, will affect the different companies very differently. And no doubt much of it is attributable to the novelty of the experiment and the little opportunity which has thus far been given for settling the basis of a system upon the subject. The project which was enacted at the last session of your honorable body upon this subject, was a good deal complained of as being imperfect, unequal in some respects, and, above all, too complicated; and, as was urged by some, not clearly and readily understood by the conductors and subordinate employees of the different companies, thereby creating a good deal of uncertainty and perplexity to the companies and frequent disappointments and severe complaints from passengers. There probably is some foundation for these complaints. But we were satisfied there had not been a very earnest effort to make the thing work in the best possible manner, especially among those who were not expecting to be specially benefited by the system. We believe the present system might be made to operate well enough, and without any very considerable embarrassment to companies beyond what is always, more or less, incident to all changes in the mode of collecting fares, and especially changes rendering the system more complex. We think it specially desirable to keep the mode of collecting fares upon street passenger conveyances as simple as possible. We are not by any means confident that the system would not be improved, both for the companies and the public, by a perfectly uniform fare, payable always in the same mode and with no com |