TRAMWAYS ACT

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 269, 7 August 1920, Page 7

TRAMWAYS ACT

REGULATIONS ASKED FOR VIEWS OF TRAMWAYMEN'S FEDERATION A deputation' from tho New Zealand Tramway Employees' Federation yesterday waited upon tho Minister of Public Works (the Hon. J'. G. Coates), principally to urge that tjie regulations drawn up under, the Tramways Act, 1910, be gazetted. The speakers were Mr. A. L. Montoith (Wellington), and Mr. H. T. Armstrong (Christchurch) Mr. Monleith said that the tramway emplovees had for ten years past been sending deputations to successive Ministers of Public Works asking that something should bo dono to give effect to the provisions of the 1910 Act. The present deputation asked that the regulations should be gazetted in the interests of public safety. The Minister might at any time see for himself one of the evils that the federation wished to see removed—the "sardine-packing" of the trains in tho rush hours.

The Minister remarked that the regulations had been printed. Objections to them had, however, been raised all over the country. Ho thought that all the tramway boards and city corporations wished to see regulations made, but their objections to tha present proposals would havo to be heard and carefully weighed. Tho Tramways Act, Mr. Monleith proceeded, required a conductor to undergo a course of not lees than twenty-one days' training for tho position of motor)nan before ho applied for examination as a motorman. The twenty-one days in question, should, in the opinion of the deputation, be twenty-one days of eight hours each. Some of the tramway authorities were "dodging" the requirements of Ihe section by reckoning a day on which perhaps only half an hour's training was given as a "day" for the purposes of the section. Men had been put on the road without undergoing the full period of training, and when accidents happened the management would not reinstate them or allow them again to go up for their motormen's tickets. During the war tramway authorities had been allowed to reduce from twelve to six months the period for which a man must serve as a conductor .■before he could go up for his motorman's ticket. Tho federation considered that now the original requirement should bo restored. In consideration of the fact that tramwaymen worked when the rest of tho public made holiday, and that tho general public enjoyed certain railway concessions at holiday times, the deputation was anxious that some arrangement shouUl be made by which the tramwaymen might on their holidays enjoy the same privileges as the rest of tho community. This request they asked the Minister to pass on to the Minister of Railways. Mr, 11. T. Armstrong said that although the regulations did not embody all that the federation asked for, he belated they would give satisfaction generally to the tramwaymen of the Dominion. He particularly stressed the importance of the regulation requiring that a conductor should be in charge of every car. In this connection he mentioned the finding of the Coroner at the inquest on the Sumner tragedy. Referring to the Christchurch Tramway Bill now before the 'House, he claimed that tramway boards should be elected on tho same franchise as city councils. The Minister replied that at the very earliest opportunity ho would consider tho objections of. the tramway authorities to the regulations, and before taking final action would give tho federation a chanco to be heard again. ■ "I hope within a few months I shall bo able to give you regulations satisfactory to all parties concerned," Mr. Coates concluded.