SMOKING IN TRAM CARS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 142, 17 June 1922, Page 11

SMOKING IN TRAM CARS.

(To the Editor.) Sir,—A few words in reply to the plaintive cry of the "Smoke Victim." There is a very simpl? way to avoid smoke in tramcars. Let mc initiate your correspondent. The victim may have observed that in Auckland the "trams are divided into two compartments. This is not owing to any fortuitous chance of design, but so that smokers may go into one compartment,, duly labelled, "and nonsmokers may go into the other. T know the pangs that iobacco smoke causes to the tender feelings of some of vs—the Band of Hope is a case in point—and hate to sec anyone suffer when a l'ttle gratuitous information may enable them to avoid tl > evil. By the way. let mc he-_: your correspondent not to expre-s her Gratitude to mc through your columns. I really expect no acknowledgment.—l am, etc.. A PHILANTHROPIST. 'To the Editor.'i Sir,—'"Smoke Victim" should approach the City Council with a request to provide special cars durinir these hours marked "Smoking prohibited."' T think this correspondent is takintr a very narrow view in this matter. The men folk of the city are entitled to their smoke in the cars provided for that purpose, and I am sure if "Smoke Victim"' were to take a broader view and to give and take a little during the rush hours, I an> certain he or she would not find things so bad as made out.—T am. etc.. GIVE A,N*D TAKE. WATERSIDE EMPLOYMENT. (To ihe Editor.) ■Sir.—Will you permit mc tv correct a mis-statement in a letver headed "Waterside Employment" which appeared in Wednesday's "Star.'' Your corrc/.-poiident states that the names of about 280 men are posted in the waterside workers' shed as payers of income tax. This statement is not true. The list posted in the shed is a list supplied by the central pay office of all those men who, during tlie year ending March ■il last (the early part of which period w»3 'before the slump), earned £-50 or over, thus making it necessary under the Act passed last session for these men to make a return. As most, if not all of these men, have one or more children, the abatement on this account will bring them well within the taxabllimit, which is, 1 bel _ye, i"300, so that, probaibly the 280 "pes.' ?rs of income tax" will probaibly ibe red teed to M or 4, if any. This appears vi be a revival of the old canard about the "enormous wages" earned on the wharf by a favour«wl few. and T perhap- may 'be allowed to point out that the men on the list referred to above probably earned most of it by working long hours of overtime and handling unhealthy cargo, for which a higher rite is paid. It is also stated in. tho lotter under reply that there arc about 1500 members in the union. The real facts are that 1271 membersh/p tickets have been issued this year, and even of these many 'have left the wharf.—l am. etc., X. SHORTER.