AUCKLAND TRAMWAY SERVICE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 198, 19 August 1908, Page 8

AUCKLAND TRAMWAY SERVICE.

(To tbe Editor.) Sir, —I venture to trespass upon your space to call attention to the scandalous neglect on the part of both the Tramway Company's officials and the police, as representing law and order, in the matter of the protection of ladies and children from serious accident in the course of the "rushes" that take place at any busy time of the evening! The Heme Bay and Parneli cars are the worst in this respect, and my experience last night, when, accompanied by my wife, I vainly tried to get through to a Remuera car, made mc indeedjealise that the age of chivalry has passed away, and 1 could not help wondering what would happen to the ladies on board a sinking ship in New Zealand if your men find it necessary to exert so much brute strength in forcing ladies back in order that they themselves may get home a little sooner! The lowest rough in a London street is generally ready to waive his right to a lady, even where he may have been the first in turn. I can see that to expect ordinary courtesy of this kind here would be altogether too great a strain; but I do say that there should be some system whereby first arrivals should have the first seat, and, in any case, that actual violence, amounting to assault, should be, if need be, repressed by the stronger arm of the law! Last night we arrived at the terminus at 10.45 o'clock, when there were about a dozen people waiting, including several ladies in evening dress. There was a considerable delay, and at 10.55, when the Remuera car arrived (conductor No. 121) it was immediately rushed, long 'before it had stopped, by a crowd of much later arrivals (all men), who hung on to the steps and came down wtih the car, mowing everything before them! In the scuffle, my wife was nearly thrown down —as it was, her belt, with a valuable buckle, was ruthlessly torn off and left in the street, though kindly recovered by a gentleman spectator. And -when we eventually got on to the platform, it was only to find that, owing to a fresh crowd having swarmed in at the driver's end, we were ordered off by the conductor, the proper inumber of passengers having been exceeded! Finally, unable to face any more football scrummages, we walked home to St. Stephens-avenue. I ask you, Sir, is this the best a great city like Auckland can do for its citizens? I would suggest as a remedy that no one should be allowed to board a car until it has come to an absolute full stop, and then only at the conductor's end; and that if the Tramway Company are unable or unwilling to protect their customers from physical violence, the city police should be instructed to take a hand, and do it for them! If a man came and pushed mc violently about in the street I should promptly call a policeman and prosecute for assault, and I contend that, as a matter of law, I have an equal right to do so if my assailant is on a car, and only actuated by a desire to "jump" my place!!—l am, etc., ERNEST W. MUNTON. 26, Shortland-st., City, August 10, 1908.