"DEATH TKAPS"

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 92, 15 October 1913, Page 8

"DEATH TKAPS"

♦ ■ ■■ "DAVEYISING" TRAMCARS CITY COUNCIL'S ACTION. The Mayor (Mr. J. P. .Luke) was approached by a Poet reporter to-day with regard to the discussion in the House of Representatives yesterday afternoon arising out of the injury to a tram conductor last Saturday through falling olf the footboard of a car. In the course of the debate it was urged that certain cars were death-traps, and should be taken off the run until altered. In outlining the position of tho corporation, the Mayor eaid that at present there wero ninety-one cars in all. Of these twenty-two did not require any alteration in oider to conform with the regulations. Of the remainder, twentytwo would be altered by tho end of the month. This meant that forty-four cars out of ninety-one would have a central passage in, them by the end of October. This would leave six large palace cars, twenty-six ordinary palace cars, ten. small palac* cars (in use on the Brooklyn and Wadestown sections), 3 Hongkong, and 2 combination cars, 47 in all, to bo converted. Regarding the 10 small palace cars, Mr. Luke said that the Tramway Board was of tho opinion that tho Minister of Public Works would not press for an alteration of these cars. The cars were used on the Brooklyn and Wadestown lines. These sections were not -affected by the ordinary traffic, and the conditions generally were such that the chances of accident to the conductors were practically eliminated. No accidents had ever occurred on these lines. CARS TO BE DISCARDED. " It is tho intention of the council," continued the Mayor, "to discard tho Hongkong cars. They are not worth the money required to bo spent in order to reconstruct them/ Mr. Luke added that Mr. Morton (chairman of the Tramway Board), Mr. Richardson (City Electrical Engineer), and himself conferred with the Minister last night, and on behalf of the council he (Mr. Luke) offered to alter the remaining cars to suit tho requirements, at the rate of three a month. This would complete the whole of the work within twelve months. The council had instructed the Tramway Board that neither expenditure of money or time was to stand in the way in order to give effect to the alteration in the cars. The board had been given an absolutely free hand It had' given him (Mr. Luke) to understand that it could not possibly cope with more than three cars a month. Tho idea current m some quarters was that the doing away with the footboard and the substitution of a central passage simply involved cutting down tho seats. The structural work of the cans, howeVeT, was such that it was absolutely necessary in altering them to retain their lateral strength. Otherwise they would not be usable. LOSS OF SEATING CAPACITY. Mr. Luke further pointed out that the council was building new cars at the present time, in anticipation of meeting the requirements in the shape of accommodation necessitated by tho lets of carrying capacity through the "Daveyising" of the cars. This loss was approximately 25 per cent. It was apparent that many more cars — no fewer than 16— would have to be built in order to cope with the conditions as existing at the present time. Instructions had been given that work on new cars must be suspended until the remodelling and alteration of the present cars was completed. "If," remarked the Mayor, "any assistance can be given by outside firms in the way of making new cars for the council to meet the new conditions, no doubt we will embrace the opportunity. That the council has been expeditious in dealing with the situation is instanced by tho fact that it has converted twenty-two cars during the last fourteen montJis.',' Concluding, Mr. Luke pointed out that the safety of the conductors, the motormen, and the general public was the paramount consideration. As to tho suggestion that every "foot-boarded" car should be taken out of commission until converted, the Mayor dismissed it with the remark that every car that was put out of action threw six men out of employment.