THE SACRED MOTORMAN.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 124, 18 February 1908, Page 9

THE SACRED MOTORMAN.

THE WAYS OF TRAMWAYS,

1 Tho Wellington motormah .is" a delicate . product,, tlio . hem! of. whose Fox's sorgo., garmout should? not bq .touched ;by- tho pommon - liord' Ho sits behind /his' glass shield arid looks' out upon 1 a world/through'' which ho has to 'force;a';way' while' holding it in /profound./contempt'./. Ho is; a iticmlier: of tho;- cult,, of,the hatless,. : aridmostly has; curly . liairj i a ..bored'.expression..• { Jv' /"•Tho public, who pay, may 'bo jumbled, about, trodden on, and forced to stand on tho roof of 'a crowded ; " decker'•' at tho motorman's end, 'and when/ thoyvwisb-. to alight they aro not permitted oil'any account on a few specially/ built, cars—' to descend tho steps noarest tho end of tho car they ; aro standing,/and. so/.'out 'to -tlio' •.street;past''-'the motorman/ • That 'would bo .sacrilego! v - J ■ / Tho -'tramway authorities hold tho opinionthat,' though' thd'car is at 'a 'standsti]l:/aridtho gear is out of action, that it is "dangerous to allow passengers to alight at tho motor-: mill's- eiid of. tho'car. No';'ho (of' she) has to , push his (or her) way through the; crowd in (order - to'/step off 1 at ' the- rear 'of the, car/ Tho 'dffect is that cars aro, often kept, throo minutes'at stopping 'places' while tho scrim-: mages "to get. tnrou'gh "'is-proceeding either inside or on top of'the -car. ', v ' , How different in Sydney, and how much mord' convenient' for t-ho passengers—tlio' people, who pay I : Tlio' most covoted /seat on a Sydney "car is tho one iriimodiately 'behind tho motormari, so"imriiediatoly-behind that' anyone on the soat could/by reaching out ; touch : - his coat. 1 •/' : Ho oyoii •''coiidoEcends to.' chat to passengers like y'o 'oldo Enijlisho ; 'bus • di'iver whilo you drink tho b'rpezo mado by ,tho.- rushing /car; Hs- 1 'a deal / mord" crowded 'than'-' Wellington, : "and "its:- princip'al" streets' are not' much wider, yet;passengers .may get aboard a car on 'either sidd/at' ari'y : timo, .arid nothing, outVof/tho jvay,',happens. •Of courso, 'passengers 'board!'oafs/ from tlio. ibiddlo of tho doublo track''at ; tlioir own risk, arid -'the' danger' is 'gr'oatdr in , Wellington, whero; wo havo v .so : 'many'centre' poles, hut now tho peoplo aro getting lisod 'tp tho olectric cars. anfl their ways ■■ tho authorities might relax a littlo in ranoiis ways.'/

Tho practice' of not allowing a passongor, to alight or board'a car at/the,motorman's end'is; one, that 'should' bo : abolished—as".far; as: compulsory;' stopping places are concerned,' at all- ovents. :;; '• -'