THE TROUBLE WITH THE TRAMS

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25, 30 January 1912, Page 8

THE TROUBLE WITH THE TRAMS

TO THE EDITOR. Sn',- a have been much impressed with the courtesy and attention of the tramway men and the patience and good temper -they show in collecting fares on the overcrowded cars of thi6 city. This feeling, coupled with a sense of justice, induces me to protest against the misrepresentation and exaggeration which characterise mo6t of the printed comments on the present position. Some three hundred men find that they cannot work' in harmony with one of tho inspectors, and they, thorefore, ask that this inspector be given- some other position. It must be clearly understood that no objection has been made to the employment of_ inspectors; the men simply cay that this particular inspector is a disturbing element, and unite in asking that .he be transferred' to some other position. _ All the talk about dictating to the council as to who shall be employed and who shall not, is merely that fqrni of exaggeration commonly U6ed to prejudice public opinion. It is quite time enough to accuse a highly respectable body of men of attempting to run the council when any such attempt is made. In the meantime it is, I think, wiser to stick to facts as we find them. Councillors should realise • that the time has gone by when a labour body can be treated as soldiers on active sendee, where obedience to orders without question is and can be enforced. To my mind, th© reasonable course is to meet the men in , a. fait and sensible manner, and not to Court further trouble by exaggeration and unfair criticism. It may sound very heroic to talk about a "firm ' stand" and un "unyielding front," but in these days the exercise of tact i» the essential in handling any body of men, and to use despotic domination in place of tact may, and piobably ' will, result in •sowing the wind and reaping a hurricane. The tramway men arft generally regarded a« attentive and careful borvants of the publio, who, in Wellington, work under very trying conditions, and the City Council t might, without loss of. dignity, have listened to the united voioe of t such men, and without doing him an injustice transferred the inspector complained of to some more suitable position. After reading your article in yesterday's issue, I realise that you differ from the views expressed above, but I do not think you will refuse to hear the other side, .and , the .publication of this', letter may reveal how widely these views are held. — 1 am, etc., . J. P. W. DALRYMPLE. Wellington, 30th January.