TRAMWAY REGULATIONS

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 304, 17 September 1921, Page 12

TRAMWAY REGULATIONS

AN lAIPORTANT CONFERENCE. For some time past there has been a set of tramway regulations in existence, which regulations have not been gazetted by the Public Works Department for certain reasons, one of which was that, if rigidly applied, they might, go a good way towards crippling several of the municipal tramway enterprises. Recently tho Alinister of Public Works (Hon. J. G. Coates), desiring to reach finality resolved to call a conference of representatives cf the various bodies controlling electric tramway systems and. the employees. This conference was held yesterday 'in Parliamentary Buildings. Mr. F. W. Furkert (Chief Engineer of the Public AVorks Department) presided,; and the Minister of Public AVorks (Hon. J. G. Coates) was in attendance. Delegates representing the managements of tram wav concerns present were: Alessrs. AV. 11. Morton (AVellington), J. J. Walklate (Auckland), Green (Wanganui), Scott (Dunedin)', and the Hon. J. Barr, AI.L.C. (Christchurch). The Tramwaymen’s Federation representatives were: Messrs. C.' Hoblis and A. L. Monteith (Wellington), E. Snow and T. Armstrong (Christchurch), and J. Liddell (Auckland). The proceedings of the conference were not open to tho Press. Representatives of the managements outlined their objections to the regulations, urging that the time was not yet opportune for them to be enforced. It was contended that tramway undertakings were being conducted ujth reasonable safety, and, although it was admitted that a certain amount of inconvenience was caused owing to overcrowding, it was urged that the Government was not justified in enforcing regulations which would materially increase tho expense of running the various concerns.

On tho other halid, the federation representatives expressed the opinion that tho managements had had ten years at least in which to procure exlr.t rolling stock when money was cheap. That they had neglected to do so snould not be used as an argument for allowing the present state of affairs to continue. Tho conference afterwards proceeded to discuss the various clauses ct the regulations in detail. Tho first point discussed by the conference was whethe? there should be any regulations at all, and after arguments pro and con had been heard, the chair man ruled that they should assume tbeie would be, and delegates proceeded to discuss the draft regulations clause by clause There was no great opposition to tho majority of these by either side Tho discussion in chief ensued on the question of overcrowding. It was freely Admitted that there was overcrowding, and the representatives of the employees t 0 b ° "klbls of bodies controlling elecM/’nS crowding wci thousands of people slated that 1- y lly unobtainable ° XI t rimo-as more care would at tho pies ■ which w-ould probably XTtXV dß’f- tX OU? Of the wenty-four hours of tho day, and M » large number of extra men <o be employed tho wages would have to UwXlinisterXand itwilfrXin for the