THE TRAMWAYS BILL.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 13903, 30 November 1910, Page 10

THE TRAMWAYS BILL.

PASSED BY LOWER HOUSE. fPHES9 ASSOCIATION T_ - -HAM.) WELLINGTON. November 29

After the ToJegrnnli Office closed at 2 a.m., the Tramways Act Anienfimont Bill was further considered in Committee. Tlic Minister promised to pive effect to a suggestion of Mr Wilford, that one member of tV.p Board of Rxnminers sliould he an eleotrir.il, engineer in charge of a tramway concern. An amendment mo red by Mr Wilford to clause 3, having the effect ot removing misconduct as a sronnd ot disqualification for a certificate of .service as a motorman, was defeated by 3tf votes to 0. .sub-clause G of clause 2. providing a penalty for acting as a motorman without holding a certiiicate, was op-prK-od by .Mr Wilford, who moved to strike it out. The clause was retained by 32 votes to lfj. and the clause was ayreed to.

At clause, o Mr Luke moved ;in amendment to limit the Order-in-Oouncil reputations, for periodical inspection of carriages to these owned !>y private companies. The amendment wa.s rejected by 2 1 .) votes; to 11. The Minister ngi M to insert a provision making the maximum earning rapacity of a car 7~> per cent, over the seating accommodation. Mr Wiiforc! protested against suhclaiise '-' of clause o. providing that if a regulation is inconsistent with the provisions of any Order-in-Counei! authorising the construction and working of any tramway, the regulation shall prevail and the inconsistent provision in the authorising order shall he deemed to ho revoked. He moved to report progress on the clnuse, but the motion was lost by '29 votes to 14. Mr Wilford said it was a monstrous

tiling for the Minister to take power to override an Order-iii-Council uncier which a council had borrowed fiooO.OuO. Mr Herdman moved a proviso that the clause shall not affect any Order-in-Counril already in force. This was negatived by 27 votes to 13. Clause 9 was deleted on the motion of the Minister. At clnn.se 10. sub-clause 1, Mr Fisher moved to add a proviso giving employees power to appeal to the Appeal Board set up under section G. This was lost by 2.5 votes to ]•>. A new clause was inserted, on the motion of the Ministtr, enabling the promoters of a tramway to run minimum fare cars providing the faro does not exceed the aggregate of the fares for the whole journey. On the motion for reporting the Bill as amended, a division was taken, and resulted: —Ayes, 32; Xoes, f>. The Bill wss then put through its final stages.