"THE BUS FEUD."

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18347, 2 April 1925, Page 5

"THE BUS FEUD."

COURT REVELATIONS.

RIVAL DRIVERS BECOME HEATED. •

Revelations of tactics used in the "bus feud" were made at the Magistrate's Court yesterday, several charges being preferred against George Lowis, the driver of an Inter-Citv Service bus, bv the Christchureh Tramways Board. Mr G. S.M., was on the 1 Bench.

Lowis was charged that on February 2nd he "stopped the motor-bus under his control on the tramway tracks at or about Albert street, on the route between Cathedral square and New Brighton, and impeded the traffic on. the tramway so as to prevent a ear from proceeding at its ordinary rate of speed." He was further charged with, having assaulted a tram-driver, Askew, and with having driven liia bus along Pages' road in a manner dangerous to the public.

Two charges, one of having assaulted S. Eyre at New Brighton, and the other of having impeded the traffic, were withdrawn by the Board. Mr C. S. Thomas represented the accused, and Mr J. J. l)ougall appeared for the Tramway Board. "Becoming a Feud." "This has arisen out of the competition between motor-buses and trams of the last few months," said Mr Dougall. He contended that the private motorbus known as the "Inter-City" was the main factor in the trouble which had risen. The trouble had become serious, and had even grown into a feud, in which the public was beginning to take part.. At present there were no regulations for the motor-buses, except the Motor Vehicles Act and the ordinary city by-laws. They were "free lances" that ran when and ■where they liked. The Board was not pressing for a severo penalty, but it wished all concerned to know it was doing its best for the public. The facts in the case were that on February 10th the bus passed the New Brighton 4.5 p.m. tram at Fitzgerald avenue, and then pulled up on the tram lines at Albert street, a small street 150 yards from Stanmore road, without giving warning. Askew, the. motorman, got out, and, going up to Lowis, said he would report him for obstructing at New Brighton. Askew went up to Lowis again, and complained of the conduct. Lowis hit him with his list, and threw hiru back off the step of the bus. His cheek bled, and the nexl, day he had a "black eve." Lowis then got out of the bus and flicked the motorman's hat oft'. The prosecution was brought under By-law 62., The Inter-City Service bus had persisted in, driving and stopping on the tram lines when there was plenty of room on either side. Assault Described. Ernest Walter Askew, motorman, employed by the Tramway Board, described the occurrence, saying that Lowis stopped his bus directly on the rails, and gave no warning of his intention to do so. Six passengers were dropped. Witness got off the car, and told Lowis lie would report liim. Albert street was not a tramway stop, and the ear was hold up for 10 or 12 seconds. There was ample room on cither side of the tram lines for the bus to pull up. At the terminus, witness thought he .bad better "havo an understanding" with Lowis, and he. got on the step of the bus to speak to him. Witness said: "You know the rules of the road as well as I do, and know you ai'G not supposed to stop in. front of a car to discharge passengers." Without any warning, Lowis struck him on the right check, and- the blow split the skin. Askew staggered back, and Lowis got off, saying, "Keep off my bus." "He wanted to fight me on the road, but I refused," said witness. "I told him if he ever met me in civies it would be an even break.'' The passengers refused to give their names, saying they did not want to bo mixed up in the affair. Lowis offered to take witness's coat off for him. To Mr Thomas: The tram he was driving wa3 a new type, and it liad a maximum speed of 18 miics an hour. The bus would beat the tram to Brighton. In witness's opinion it was not provocative to stand on the step of the bus. He thought Lowis was a reasonable man, and he wished to come to an understanding with him. He had never said "What the did you want to stop in front of my tram for?" or become excited. Mr Thomas: Didn't Lowis merely shove you off'? —It was some shove, sir, to black my eye and split the skin! What were the parting shots? —Lowis said I'd better go before I got hurt. Anyone who says you went away talking fighting is a liar! —Yes.

"No Feeling at All!" Robert Hector Norrie, the conductor on the car, corroborated the evidence nf the motorman. At the George street stop, Lowis had called out to witness something about "Your mate wants educating." To Mr Thomas: There was no "feeling" between bus and tram factions, as far as he knew. He knew nothing of a collision between a bus and ii tram. Mr Thomas: Be truthful! Aren't you out to land this crowd?—No, sir. Witness denied that the motorman had said to Lowis "What the did you want to stop fori" He had talked the case over with Askew in a solicitor's office on Monday. Statement by Lowis. Police-Sergeant W. 11. Almond produced a statement made by Lowis, who said that -when he stopped at Albert street he had forgotten the tram was behind him. An old lady was rather slow getting out of the car, and he was held up. He had had 110 intention of stopping the tram. At New Brighton, Askew came up and told him he did not kuow the rules of the road. Lowis asked him to leave, and when he refused to get off the step, he "pushed him off." Ajskew told him what would happen if he had his uniform off, aud Lowis flicked his hat off. He might have "pushed him off a bit rough." William Diek„ traffic supervisor for the Board, said that the first indication he had received that there was "trouble" was when Askew had come to liini with his check bleeding. "What He Deserved." Opening tl?e defence, Mr Thomas said that although the' "feeling" had not been brought out by the evidence, it was a notorious fact. He outlined the occurrence, and submitted that Askew should have left well alone after saying he would report Lowis. At Brighton ho became angryj and had "nagged" at Lowis till "he was pushed off the bus. Then he talked fight. The passengers in the bus believed that he got what he deserved. The defendant, George Lowis, said the statement he had made to the police was true. He would not have pulled up on the tram line if he had known the car was so close behind.

To Mr Dougall: He had hart some trouble -with the tramway employees outside the present case.

Powder and Spiite. Mr Dougall: Did you ever hear of carborundum powder being put in the Clydesdale bus? —Yes. Mr Thomas: You are not suggesting that he did that? Mr Dougall: No. I wanted to find out what he knew about it. Mr Dougall to witness: Have you over had iron spikes stuck into your tyres? —Yes. Who's guilty of that, the general public, I suppose? —I don't know. Christian. John Anderson, a 'passenger on the bus, said that Askew was a "bit wild" when he got on the'bus, and enquired, "What the - did you want to stop for?" Harry James Fletcher, another passenger " on the bus, corroborated the evidence of Anderson. Both men seemed to be "shaping up to each other" when Askew's hat fell off. Askew had been the aggressor. Magistrate's Decision. Summing up, the Magistrate said the charge of impeding the traffic could not succeed, as Lowis had said he was putting down an old lady, and he had not heard the car. He would have to be given the benefit of the doubt. Thcro was very little difference in the stories given by Lowis and Askew, allowing for ordinary divergence of the stories of any two'people. If Askew had put in ltis Teport without speaking to Lowis at New Brighton, tlie police proceedings would not have followed, but Askew was voune. To some'extent he had been inviting trouble bv his action, but the fact that Lowis hit him too hard could not be got away from. It was a "sort of mercy" that Askew had not been knocked down on the pavement and badly hurt. Lowis had taken rather too much on himself, for Askew was onlv on the step of a public bus. More force than necessary was used. "What happened afterwards, the bellicose behaviour, I don't pay much attention to," he said, "for it might be expected between two young, active colonials." On the assault charge Lowu was convicted without penalty, and ordered to pay Court costs 7s and £1 witnesses' expenses. Alleged Dangerous Driving. The Court then considered a charge of dangerous driving against Lowis. Mr Dougall said that the information was laid under the Motor Vehicles Act. The Inter-City bus had zig-zagged from one side of the road to the other, and prevented the tramway bus from passArthur Cox, City Council sauitarv inspector, and a passenger in the tramway bus, said that between Bexlev and Breeze's road his bus attempted to pass the Inter-City bus,

which was in front on the left side of the road. Immediately, the Inter-City, came on to the right 'side of the road, and the tramway bus had to slacken speed. That happened several times, the tramway bus being prevented from passing each time. His bus did five miles in fifteen minutes, and it passed the Inter-City at Stanmore road. The occurrence happened at night, and the Inter-City bus could -only be seen when it got in front of the headlights. Witness spoke to the driver of tlw bus afterwards, saying, "You are driving very, erratically; you were all over the road." The driver asked, "Did you make any notd" of the speed you were going at?" Collisions Avoided. Charles Edward North, driver of the tramway bus, said the Inter-City had pulled over in front of him, and blocked the road. Witness blew the horn, but ' the Inter-City would not shift. That happened about five or six times during the trip. On one occasion witness had to clap on hi 3 brakes to avoijl a collision. At the comer of Aid win's road and Limvood avenue the InterCity cut the corner and missed the pole, by about five feet. "God knows what would have happened if a motor-car had been going to New Brighton at the same' time," said witness. "Lowis is the most reckless man I've met in .1(3 years' driving cars. If he had had his* way he would have smashed up the bus every time." Police Cautionings. To Mr Thomas: He had not been appointed because he was a daring driver, and lie had not "lost*' the bus between the Square and Fitzgerald avenue. The police at Brighton had cautioned both Lowis and him'aboiit their driving. It was not "an open slather" on the road; but there was close competition in the getting of passengers. The case was then adjourned until Tuesday morning.

Mr and Mrs W. A. Snelliiig, Southsea. have just celebrated the U"th anniversary of their wedding. Mr Snelling was in the old 3 loyal yacht Victoria and Albert when i-he brought Queen Alexandra over to England for her marriage.