SHORTAGE OF TRAMCARS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 170, 18 July 1907, Page 2

SHORTAGE OF TRAMCARS.

(To the Editor.)

Hit,— The acute stage reached regarding tramway matters is just now eyeing a large amount of public attention There is just a danger that many people may lay the blame for the present unsatisfactory state of affairs on a section of the tramway employees, vhan such blame is not deserved. On the whole the conductors are a very efficient and obliging body of men, carrying out their difficult and at times onerous duties in a very creditable inanuer. it must be perfectly clear to any one who has taken'the trouble to read the Orders in Council and the Deeds of Delegation that the fault rests firstly, with the Tramways Company in not providing sufficient ears as laid down in sections 26 and 2S of Order in Council ICo. 1. which read as follows. —26—"The Council shall at all times keep, use, and maintain a sufficient supply of ears, waggons, trucks and plant of all kinds to efficiently subserve the purposes of the undertaking, and secure to the public the full benefit of the tramway." 28—"The business of the undertaking shall at a.ll times be carried on in a manner conducive to the public convenience and so as, in the opinion of the Governor, not to cause any nuisan.ee or inconvenience to the public." Seeondlv, the fault rests with our City Council in not seeing that Orders in Council and Deeds of Delegation were being complied with, and in enforcing the lines and penalties laid down in the said Deed of Delegation. I am not losing sight of the fact that the Council did enforce for a time and collect such penalties, but they failed to follow up that good work, otherwise we should not be in the chaotic state which now obtains.

Our experience for the last 12 months shows us that in the""rush hours"' at least 25 per cent of the passenger's car ried have been in excess of the numbercars are licensed to carry, yet even with this dangerous over-crowding, very many people wishing to travel by the cars wera compelled to walk- It must, therefore, be quite clear that the Tramways Company require at least 33 l-3rd per cent additional cars to efficiently carry out their contract, and it is also clear that our City Council should at once give the required notice to the Tramways Company to carry out the engagements entered into by tiiem. —I am, etc., THOMAS MILLER. (To the Editor.) Sir, —I have been pleased to hear the ma-ay commendatory expressions of opinion from the travelling public in regard to the action of the tramway employees in enforcing the letter of the Council's by-iaw-, such action bsing the natural consequence of tie inaction of the City Council. For the past five years the overcrowding and the excessive speed of the cars have been a serious menace to the lives of the community. We know of the many deaths that have occurred through either of these causes, and Sjlwa-ys the Tramway Company has been Mamed, but the real culprits are the mempers of tha City Council, the trustees of [the people, who, from some cause, have altogether neglected their duty in allowing such a state of affairs.

it seems to mc that the company has received every privilege for which it ■has asked, and. in return, given to the Council only volumes of correspondence. From the time of the first serious Kingsland accident to the dust nuisance, and to the present urgent demand for extra cars, what has l>sen done? but a small fine, that pans out to the population of Auckland at a penny a head. Another aspect of the case seems to be teat the Council have been deliberately winking at the breaches of their own by-la-ws, and they only now wake up when th-2 company deny any responsibility for the illegal acts committed hy its employees, shunting it on to the men, who have been obliged to take the recent course of action in self-defence. I trust that souie drastic measures will be employed at once, and that the public will, see that the Council move in the matter. —I am, etc., LIBERAL AND LABOUR.