Public services for profit do not, and never will, serve the public. An old complaint from Buffalo’s proletarian East Side, but one made a million times since–packed trains and busses because the bosses refuse to put on extra routes.

‘Street Car Service on the East Side’ from Buffalo Socialist. Vol. 1 No. 30. December 28, 1912.

The street car service on the East Side at workmen’s hours is almost criminal.

That the people of the great East Side of the City of Buffalo are a law-abiding, easy going lot of citizens is proved beyond a doubt by what they stand for from the International Railway.

Standing at the corner of Michigan and Genesee streets a few evenings ago our attention was attracted to a Genesee car that was loaded to the brakes with men and women returning from their daily work.

Not only was the car loaded inside, but back and front platforms were filled to the limit and no less than ten men and boys hanging on to the steps and to the coupler and back beam, all endangering their lives in their effort to get a ride home through the kindness of the International’s complete system of collecting nickels and giving rotten service.

We have observed the same condition at the corner of Huron and Washington streets. A car already overloaded will arrive at this corner and stop to take on more passengers. Boys and men knowing that 15 minutes will be the possible wait for the next car, cling to the brakes in order to reach home at anything like time for bed.

Why is it that some of our political officeholders who rave about their love for the workers around election time neglect to pass an ordinance which would force the International to put on more cars? Is it possible that some of these self-same political officeholders have a financial interest in the street ear company? The chances are that this is the case. And while we are at it, wouldn’t a list of stockholders in the International Railway Company make interesting reading? The names of the stockholders are not on file at the county clerk’s office.

However, for the safety and comfort of the working class passengers of the East Side lines we offer a remedy. We know that the company will say they “cawn’t afford it,” and that is supposed to be enough said, but nevertheless we suggest that an ordinance be passed to read like this:

“Every public vehicle carrying passengers for a fee, must place a sign stating the seating capacity of same in a conspicuous place in each vehicle, and is forbidden to carry a greater number of people than can be seated, under the penalty of a fine of $100 for every offence. The failure on the part of the owners of vehicles to properly observe this law is equivalent to forfeiting the right to operate.”

It is ridiculous to see the number of passengers crowded on to one car in the night and morning rush hours. No limit is placed on the number of passengers to be carried and a car with 115 passengers will stop to take on one more where possibly another car is close on its heels.

The car in front with the big load delays the whole line. People have become so accustomed to the rotten service that they think they must take the first car, fearing a long wait for the next.

What a feeble effort the work of the public service commission really was. All the investigating has amounted to nothing but their salaries. The service is not one bit improved.

Limiting the number of passengers will permit a proper amount of fresh air to circulate in the cars, which the Board of Health should insist on as a health precaution.

It would facilitate the handling of passengers.

It would give employment to more men–and that’s the sticker.

All these advantages would be a nice thing to have, but there is one thing that stops it, that is the company must have profits, and anything that interferes with the company’s profit will not do. The aldermen would not dare interfere with the International’s profits. They have not the nerve in the first place. In the second place, they are all tarred with the same stick. They are all capitalist politicians working for the interests of the capitalist class. And you who voted for it are getting what you voted for.

The Buffalo Socialist was a weekly published in Buffalo New York by the Buffalo Socialist Publishing Company from 1911-1915 and aligned with the Socialist Party of America. Edited by Max Sherover, the company also produced a weekly women’s newspaper, New Age, from 1915.

PDF of full issue: https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/buffalo-socialist/v1n30-dec-28-1912-Buf-Soc.pdf