DANGEROUS TRAMS

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 99, 23 October 1913, Page 4

DANGEROUS TRAMS

ANOTHER DEBATE IN PARLIAMENT MUDDLED CONDITION OK AFFAIRS. When the Tramways Amendment Bill was called on for its Committee stage in the House of Representatives last night, the Hon. W. F. Massey said he had been informed that a very large number of members were anxious that the measure should b© referred to a Committee in order to give the municipalities of Wellington, Christchurch, and DuDedin an opportunity of putting their views before the House. He therefore suggested that Mr. Statham be given an opportunity to move the motion to that effect standing in his name on the understanding that the Committee report in seven days* By so doing he believed they would expedite matters. All-- Davey objected to the proposal, and as absolute- unanimity was required before it could be put, the motion lapsed and tho Bill was committed. The Hon. W. Fraser said he had been given to understand that the proposal in the Bill to compel the authorities to connect all cars by Ist March was an excessive demand. Mr. Davey moved to amend the Bill by altering the date of conversion to Ist August. As to Wellington, he pointed out that only two palace cars had been converted, though ten other cars had been converted in two months. He had no doubt the council could convert five cars a. month if it was found to be necessary. Mr. Okey said that at the meeting of the Petitions Committee that morning a petition had been received from the Wellington City Council on the subject. The petition had been before the Classification Committee, and he wanted a ruling as to what was to be done with, it. The Chairman (Mr. Malcolm) declined to rule on the point. Ifc was, he said, a. question for Mr. Speaker to decide. Mr. Okey said tho petition of the council asked that it should be given twelve months in which to convert the cars,, otherwise the traffic would be disorganised. A similar petition from Dunedin had also been received. Mr. Bell suggested that the Bill should be amended bo as to fix the period at some date not being later than the 22nd October, 1914, as the Governor-in-Council shall fix, the date to be notified in the Gazette. The Chairman ruled that at that stage the amendment was out of order, as Mr. Davey 's amendment had already been the subject of debate. Mr. Poland said he understood the Wellington City Council had stated that it could make the alterations in twelve months. Judging from the paßfc he believed the council could do the work in I six months. The council had been trifling with the question, ifc had been I trifling with the lives of conductors, and it would apparently only do what it was compelled to do. He contended that any car not converted by Ist March should be set aside, because the life of one conductor was of greater importance than the convenience of the public. He was prepared to vote for the Bill as it stood. There was no reason for the delay that had already taken place. ' Mr. Atmore supported the proposal in the Bjll. A little inconvenience to the public could not be seb against human life. The proposal to retain Ist March as the date of conversion of . cars to the centre aiale system was lost by 41 votes to 21 ; and the Committee then debated the question as to what other date should be fixed. Sir Joseph Ward considered that August next was quite long enough. Parliament would be sitting then, and if the authorities found the date inconvenient they could appeal to Parliament for an alteration. It was decided on the voices to fix Ist August as the date of conversion. The Minister moved an amendment so as to provide that the aisle should only be in that part of the car used for passengers. His object was to exempt certain cars in Auckland in which space was reserved at each end for the motorman. Mr. Statham said the argument applied equally to some cars at Dunedin. He pointed the moral that the Bill ought to have been referred to a Committee. Sir Joseph Ward pointed out that on some of the Dunedin cars there was a seat for passengers behind the motorman. If the Bill applied to all cars those cars would have to be altered, and that part of the accommodation would be 1 interfered with. Mr. Isitt contended that the clause would not interfere with such accommodation provided the conductor could communicate with the passengers on the seat behind the motorman without going ; on to the footboard. Mr. Statham said that he had been assured by Dunedin tramway officials that the cars were not considered danferons for conductors. He had also een assured that during the past ten years there had been no serious accidents. He was sorry to say that he had syice received from Dunedin a telegram contradicting that statement, and announcing that there had been serious 'accidents. That showed how members were in the dark as regards knowledge of all the conditions. , The member for Dunedin Central pointed out that there was nothing in the Bill to prevent any conductor from collecting fares while standing on the footboard. He Nvas opposed to the proposed exemption. The provisions of the Bill should be made general in application. He hoped that when the Bill reached another place an opportunity would be given the tramway authorities to give evidence. Mr. Lee suggested that a more apt amendment would be to insert a clause providing that the central passageway should terminate at the end compartment, when such compartment was used exclusively by tho motorman. Th© Minister said that the provisions of his amendment would apply only to Auckland. As far as he could remember of Dunedin cars passengers seemed to be found all ' over the cars, some of them facing the direction opposite to that in which the car was proceeding. It .appeared to him that some members were desirous of insisting on having all cars converted, including the conversion of cars in which a space had been re,served for the motorman. Mr. Bradney suggested that as a way out of i the difficulty the proposal should not apply to Auckland cars. Mr. Davey said he would accept that proposal. ■ The Minister agreed to withdraw his amendment in favour of a proviso suggested by Mr. Bradney, to the effect that the clause shall not apply to any cars exactly similar to the closed front bogie cars at present used in Auckland. There was some talk over the inclusion of the word " bogie !" Several members suggested that it should be cut out. The Minister proposed to insert a slight amendment to the proviso, making it read "similar in its interior arrangement to the double-platform bogie cars in use at Auckland." Mr. Statham ' asked what similar meant? The Minister: Leave that to the lawyers,, ]

Several suggestions were put forward as improvements on the proviso, but were not accepted. Eventually the proviso was added to the BUI. On the motion of Mr. Witty, a n©w clause was added, providing that the steps on each car shall not be more than 14 inches from the ground or more than the same distance apart. Mr. Buxton remarked that it appeared to him that the House had got things properly muddled up. The Bill was reported with amendments at 12.39 a.m.