THE TRAMWAY DIFFICULTY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 165, 12 July 1907, Page 5

THE TRAMWAY DIFFICULTY.

NO STBAP-HAJTGEKS. The recent decision of the Tramway, employees to rigidly adhere to the municipal by-laws in the matter of .the number of passengers each vehicle is licensed to carry, created a great deal of inconvenience yesterday, when the employees gave practical demonstrations of their decision.. The inconvenience was more particularly marked at the close of the Theatre and Opera House last night, when, notwithstanding the inclemency of the elements, hundreds of people, including many ladies, had perforce to tramp wearily home. To those living in proximity to the city this was not very serious, but to those whose homes are in Remuera, Heme Bay, Kingslahd, Epsom and Remuera, the unexpected, tramp in the pouring rain meant a very real hardship. The .last car to Onehunga carried no less than twenty-five passengers who got off at the penny section, whilst the unlucky individuals whose destination was a great deal further on had to walk.

In the majority of cases, unlucky passengers • constituting the excess load obeyed the command to "get off the car" without much fuss, but in one or two instances would-be passengers protested very strongly and refused to " budge." These contingencies were promptly met by the stoppage of the car until .the recalcitrant ones thought better of it. Iα order to make sure of a seat many took a, "down ,, car, paying the extra fare. Matters are likely to. be further complicated to-morrow. Saturday afternoon is always a particularly busy time so far as the trams are concerned, and with the football match for. the "Kanfurly" Shield and the rep. hockey match, triif fie is likely to be exceptionally heavy. The average football enthusiast hae small regard for anything approaching discipline, more especially when that discipline encroaches on his personal convenience, and to see how the exigency will be met promises to prove exciting. The secretary of the Tramways Industrial Union (Mr A. Rosser) has written to the Inspector of Police asking the co-opera-tion of the police in endeavouring to prevent the overcrowding of cars efficiently and peacefully to-morrow, when it is anticipated the traffic will be abundant, and to protect the Tramway men ia their endeavour to observe the by-laws.