CITY TRAMS

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 98, 22 October 1913, Page 8

CITY TRAMS

COMMENT ON LAST NIGHT'S DEBATE % THE MAYOR'S POSITION Interviewed by a reporter to-day in regard to tho tramcar question, the Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) remarked that much of the discussion in the House of Representatives last night was very wide of , tho mark, and. the privileges of. Parliament led men to make statements which were to be regretted. From tho very beginning, when the matter was first before the people of Wellington and before Parliament, ho had been, careful to make no statement which was not supported by the work of the department. "In reference to Mr. Davey's remarks that I had given a false impression. I may say that Mr. Davey and I have been friends during the whole of Mr. Davey's Parliamentary career, and there is no man for whom I have a greater respect or of whose conception of his duty to the community I have a greater appreciation. Although he has not taken up this matter with a, just appreciation of the responsibility of his utterances, I shall not allow that to sever the bond of sympathy between üb. Mr. Davey was'actuated by a high sense of public duty, but I have to face the matter from all sides. First and foremost, I have to consider tho lives of tho men who are running tho service, then I have, to consider the efficiency of the service, with a view to the requirements of tho people using the trams." On tho list of accidents referred to in tho House ho could not express an opinion at present. The whole of tho debate showed, to his mind, that there had not been that sober, Bane consideration of a great question which should be ehown at a critical juncture in the history of a great undertaking. Had the council the same privileges and opportunities to discuss the ramifications of the Public Service it could bring before Parliament a list that would lar and away overshadow the list that had been produced against the management of tho city trams. But this was not a time for the discussion of Buch aspects of the question. He wished, as far as possible, to eliminate any elemont of political bias; and he believed that Parliament would yet arrive at a solution of the matter apart from political considera* ' tions. "So far as my personal standing ia concerned," the Mayor concluded, "I was in businces for nearly 40 years, and during tho last 36 year» wais practically responsible for the whole carrying out of the works of tho firm with which I was associated. During that period thousands of men passed through our employ, and -were engaged in very dan» gerous work, both on ships at tho Patent Slip and in our v/orks. During the whole of my experience there never was a very serious and certainly not a fatal acci« dent. I think that is sufficient answer to the suggestion that the Mayor of Wellington has not appreciated the valuo of life and limb in the tramway undertaking. In the words of Councillor Hindmarsh, the value of one life is greater than the whole undertaking; but even after all care has been taken things will happon which must be very much regretted."