THE TRAMWAY DIFFICULTY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 166, 13 July 1907, Page 6

THE TRAMWAY DIFFICULTY.

.VIGOROUS PROTESTS.

The decision of the tramway employees to rigidly adhere to the municipal by-laws, and allow no pasengers on cars in excess of the authorised number, again caused much inconvenience and annoyance yesterday. Generally speaking, the public have accepted the situation with equanimity, but the situation at five o'clock last* evening was very acute when the usual rush for ears took place. On the Parnell and Heme Bay sections there was a scene of much confusion, and the general stampede for seats resembled more of a football scrimmage than peaceful citizens following their daily avocation. Even chivalry was forgotten. "Might is right" seemed to be the accepted motto, and fragile women were remorselessly carried willy nilly into the cars or ruthlessly pushed aside. Their discomfort was also intensified by the drenching rain and the muddy state of the roads. Many passengers of both sexes boarded the cars when in motion near the terminus, only to get off again when the cars came to a standstill, the licensed number having secured their seats earlier.

The conductors strictly enforced the regulation, but there was no suspicion of any discourtesy. The city engineer is preparing- a report on the subject, which will be submitted to the Finance Committee on Tuesday, who will make recommendation to the Council. The Council will meet on Thursday next, and the Mayor (Mr A. M. Myers) is of opinion that they will demand that the Tramway Company shall provide at least six more cars to meet the public requirements during the current year, and that they will be further required to requisition for a considerable number more to be supplied next year. The Mayor is hopeful that at next Thursday's meeting some scheme will be evolved which will satisfy the reasonable requirements of the public. The question was discussed at the Council Chambers yesterday by the Mayor and a number of councillors, and the Town Clerk was instructed to forward a letter to the Company on the subject. The following letter "was then written and communicated to the Company by telephone at 3.30 p.m.: — July 12, 1907. To the General Manager of the Auckland Electric Tramways Company, Limited, Queen-street, Auckland. Sir, —I have the honour, by direction of the Auckland City Council, to notify you that, as the cars provided are not sufficient to carry all the passengers offering, they expect your company to provide extra cars to take all the passengers offering for the last cars. I have the honour to be, sir, Your obedient servant, (Signed) H. W. WILSON, Town Qer*K. Full provision was made for the conveyance of theatregoers last night; indeed, many of the cars were barely halffilled.

Earlier in the evening, the Parnell line was somewhat disturbed by a car hecoming refractory when near the top of the This car (Xo. 23) left Queen-street at 9.40 p.m. for Parnell and Newmarket, and did not reach its destination until 10.20 p.m. Many of its discomfited pasengers elected to get out and walk, but a good many remained in the car until car No. 63 came along , and gave it a helping hand. The Auckland West branch of the Liberal and Labour Federation have forwarded the following letter tor the City Council: — Auckland, July 12th. 1907. —To vonr Worship the Mayor and Members of City Council, Aucklaud: Gentlemen, —At a meeting of the City West branch of the Liberal and Labour Federation, held July Btli, the following resolution was unanimously agreed upon for presentation to the City Council. '-That this meeting of the .Auckland West branch of the Libera , and Labonr Federation begs to draw the attention of his Worship the Mayor and the Council to the following:,—(1) That sufficient rolling stock is not being provided by the Auckland Electric Tramway Company to accommodate in a reasonable manner those of the public who wish to travel between 7.30 and f> a.m. and 4.30 and 6.30 p.m . and that the terms of the Order-in-Council nnder 'The Tramways Art, 1894." is. to onr min3. not being complied with (vide section 26 and 28 of said Order-in-Councin: (2) That the plant of the said Tramway Company is not. to our mind, being maintained in good order and condition, as per terms of deed of delegation, and we would request that thp full number of cars licensed by the Council be examined by a Government engineer, and see. that snrh cars are not dangerous to the public; (3) that, as far as possible, all bodies of cars be procured locally, vide deed of delegation, which reads: 'The promoters shal] and will use al! reasonable endeavours to ensure that the materials used In the undertaking shall so far 33 possible be of local production, and the repairs to plant where practicable be locaJly made." We would bes to most emphatically point out that the workers of the city are being unfairly dealt with, return tickets are issued In the morning, and. sufficient cars not being available in the evening, many ticket-holders are compelled either to walk home, "r else pay additional fares in order to get a car home in a reasonable time. We respectfully call upon your Worship and Conncli to enforce the penalty provided in the deed of deleStation, ant", to also insist on sufficient rolling stock being immediately provided for the carrying out in a reasonable manner the requirements of our district. The scenes enacted nightly fn the crush for cars at the bottom of Queen-street are, to out minds, entirely due to the fact that the Council have not insisted on sufficient cars being provided." The following are the municipal bylaws which the tramway employees are enforcing:— (a) When any carriage contains the full number of passengers which it is licensed to contain, no additional person shall enter, mount or remain in or on any such carriage, when warned by the conductor not to do so. (b) The conductor shall not permit any passenger beyond the licensed number to enter or mount or remain in or upon any part of a carriage.