THE CITY TRAMS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1253, 9 October 1911, Page 6

THE CITY TRAMS.

CITY COUNCIL'S PROPOSAL CRITICISED. INTERFERENCE ALLEGED. Tho City Council's decision to appoint a traffic manager to the tramways undertaking does not seem to havo found much favour with the members of tho Tramways Employees' Union. Tho monthly meeting of tho union was held yesterday morning. Among tho matters whicli cropped up was the council's recent proposal, and some strong remarks were made on certain phases of the management of Wellington's trams. One member is said to have suggested a resolution expressing sympathy with Mr. James, who is at present traffic inspector. Tho motion was not pressed—it not being deemed advisable to express any formal opinion. However, it was clear that, generally speaking, the union was in sympathy with Mr. James, a.nd from what was said'it was evident that the members considered that his position was not all a bed of roses. Members complained that Mr. James had not been given a fair chance to show whether he could handlo the traffic properly or not, and they did not think it right to bring in another traffic man in Mr. James's place in such circumstances.

Ono of the charges raado was that there had been too much interference by the Tramwayy Committee of the City Council and one of tho officials. It was said that while Mr. James was supposed -to bo traffic inspector, but Mr. Cable, who was assistant engineer, had a good deal to do with the traffic management. The men consider that the man who is wanted to deal with the traffic need not be an engineer. Traffic managers are born, not made, they contend. They were men who wero able to seo the requirements and deal with them tho moment they arose. They needed to bo great organisers. Union members consider that tho management of the Wellington tramways has been very bad all along, notwithstanding, that there was considerably over half a million of money sunk in tho undertaking. The sniallness of the amount tho council is putting asido for depreciation is considered to bo inadequate by the men who have a knowledge of the "rate at which the rolling stock wears out. With tho present financing, when the rolling stock wears out, there will be no money to replace it with, and tho council will bo looking for another loan. Electrical equipment wears out very quickly, they say, but the council does not appear to take much heed of tho fact.

The reason given for tho alleged mismanagement and for other trouble in. the service is that tho undertaking has been all along under tho thumb of tho Tramways committee. Tho men Temark that the undertaking has not been made a financial success, and thoy maintain that whatever success has been attained in tho traffic department is duo to tho efforts of the men. Tho men had put up with overloading, and had worked on overcrowded oars without protest. Tho conductors realised that people were extremely anxious to (sayl got homo to lunch without delay, and'they-had tolerated a great dead out of consideration for tho people. If it wero not for the way tho conductors had acted in this' respect tho present system of traffic management would leave things in a terrible state. When anything _ went wrong on ; the loops or elsewhere in tho running it' was the men who righted matters in most cases. Generally, whatever needed attending to was fixed np before tho traffic management's representative got to the scene. _ The system was. got goimr smoothly but tho people read: "The traffic officers were quickly on the scene and had matters righted in a vory short time." So it is claimed that the men have been tho means of giving tho city as good a service as it has, but, as was stated at tho meeting, the men do not blame Mr. James for tho alleged mismanagement. They say ho has not had a fair chance. They point to Mr. Alexander, in Duncdin, who draws a salary of ,£SOO a year, and they eay ho has a _ free hand._ They givo as "an example of tho~ result of allowing a free hand tho caso of Sydney and contrast it with Wellington. The mau who controls the tram traffic of Sydney has 9SO cars to handle, and, they say, he can tell: you where any one of theso cars is at any time, while the system is working.. Then, they add, the traffic manager in' Wellington could hardly tell you it hero ono of his 80 cars was. .

At,the City Council meeting; at which it was decided to appoint a -traffic manager, tho Mayor stated (hat he; believed tho present superintendent of traffic had found tho concern beyond his' powers. This Homo of tho men resented. The traffic, they say, might have got beyond Mr. James. Mr. James was hero when tho system was started—when there wero only twelve cars—and ho had seen the system grow, and ought, they think, know what is -required. An opinion has been expressed that the council is trying to make a job to put someono into. Another,point on which: the, men express annoyance is "the ease with which the council votes increased salaries to men in high positions, while the rank and filo cannot get what they want, even though they are entitled to it." However, "nothing startling is likely to happen until after tho Conciliation Court sits: there-may be- something startling after that." '