MRUAMENT.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 988, 1 December 1910, Page 7

MRUAMENT.

THE COUNCIL. CONTROL OF.THE TRAMWAYS. , When the Legislative Council met at 2.30. yesterday afternoon tho adjourned debate oa the second reading of tho Tramways Amendment Bill was continued by The Hon. C. H.. MILLS (Wellington); who said to his mind it was scandalous the way some of tho tramcars were overcrowded. ' The Hon. J. B. CALLAN (Otago) said he was prepared to support the Bill so far as it went in the direction of protecting tho public safety» - . The Hon. J. BALDLEY (Otago) said he welcomed tho Bill and would support it. The Hon. R. A.'LOUGHNAN (Wellington) failed to see-why the' municipality should not be .compelled to put on more cars to prevent overcrowding. . : '. The Hon. J. .E. JENKINSON (Wellington) stated that, he could not see any reason for, the wnolesale condemnation, but. there, were some of .tho more drastic clauses which might be cut out in Committee. •'_ There - were other parts of the Bill-which were good and should be kept. Ho.did not think' there : was ground tor the complaint that the overcrowding of the trams was as bad in Wellington as some members suggested. The ATTOENEY-GENEEAL said the Bill ought to secure support in that its i guiding principle was the safety of tho people. The pursuit of profit would frequently, said Dr. Findlay, speaking 'gen!.era%, take the shape- of reducing the safeguards, and this'was another reason why the Government should be _ given power' to .say whether a car was in a fit condition to run or not. The second reading was agreed to. The Committee Stage, • i In Committee on the Bill, e The Hon. J..E. JENKINSON moved that the date of granting certificates should be altered from - December. 24 to December 1. Tho amendment was rejected on the voices. The Hon.-J. E. JENKINSON moved an amendment regarding the power of the Minister to authorise any qualified person to inspect any tramway, so as to provide that the. qualified person should be a member of the Railway Department. The amendment was lost on the voices. . The Hon. A. BALDEY. (Otago) moved to limit the maximum number of passengers that . may be.carried t0 ! 25 .per cent, in excess of seating capacity, instead of 75 per cent The. amendment was lost on the voices.. .'

The Hon. J. B. JENKINSON moved fo provide that tho car report-book bo kept on cable, as well as electric, cars. The amendment was lost, the mover onlyvoting for it. Mr. tvIGBAM moved 'to strike out snb-'claiiso (2) of clause 5, 'which provides that if regulation is inconsistent with the provisions of any-Or'der-in-Coun-cil authorising the construction and working, of any tramway,: then "the regulation shall prevail,, and the "inconsistent provision in the authorising order shall be deemed to be revoked..' The clause was retained. At 4.55 p.m. progress was reported, to enable the .Attorney-General to consult with the Hon. K. M'Kenzie in regard to a point raised by the Hon. Mr. Wigram as to the necessity for plans, etc., to accompany applications for an order for the construction of any tramway. •• LAND. SETTLEMENT FINANCE. 'The Hons. Dr. Findlay, W. C. F. Carncross, and T. Thompson were appointed to meet the managers of the House, of "-Representatives in regard to amendments made by the Council in the Land Settlement Finance Amendment Bill. The Council rose at 5 p.m. '