THE TRAMWAYS BILL

Evening Star, Issue 14525, 29 November 1910, Page 7

THE TRAMWAYS BILL

PASSES THE HOUSE. [From Our Parliamentary Reporter.] WELLINGTON, November 29. In moving tho second reading of tho Tramways Bill, tho Minister of Works said that Christchurch and Dunedin possessed tho beet tramways in the Dominion. It was absolutely necessary in tho interests of public 6afety that tho carrying capacity must bo regulated, for it was notorious, especially in Auckland, that the cars wero dangerously overcrowded during certain hours of the dav. If the cars were to be run at from twenty to twenty-five miles per hour in order to admit of tunetables being kept, tho travelling public ought to know tho fact. The proposed Board of Appeal was absolutely necessary. It must bo confessed that the personnel of the Board would make for impartiality. He did not think that tho Board would often bo called into requisition, because the mere fact of their existence would obligo the parties to a dispute to conic to an amicablo understanding, rather than invoke their powers. As to the reports, tho system of " loose leaf " had been revoked, and car report books substituted. Hon. members : It's the other way about. Hon. R. M'Kenzie : Yes, men now complain that in case of an accidont occurring or wanting to know anything about the car the looso leaves can't be found. If tho looso leaf is adopted a copy of such leaves must be sent once a week to the secretary of the union. Certainly the history of "overy accident should be at once forthcoming." No Bill was ever presented Lliat had received closer examination than this one. It was as nearly perfect as possible to make it. Mr Herdman objected to tho Bill as an attempt by the Government to tako control of the tramways. As to those at present administering "them, the only complaint was against Auckland, which was a pri-vately-owned service. The people of 'Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin were perfectly satisfied with their undertaking. His objections to the Bill were twofold--there was. no demand from the public, and in the next place ho did not believe that the Government could manage these nndertakinss as well as the municipalities. It looked "as if the Government wanted to get possession of the tramways—(Mr -~ Kenzie : "Nothing of tho kind.") and to use them for electioneering purpeers. Mr M'Laren did not agree with his colleague that no amendment of the, law was necessary. Some things required <o be remedied, but these could be easily mended by Orcler-in-Couneil. The. popular interest would not bo served by this legislation, the only effect of which would be to raise fares. * He commented on the comparative cheapness of tramway fares in Wellington as against those paid on tho Government railways for similar distances. All tho local bodies were distinctly opposed to' this attempt to capture tho administration of municipality-owned undertakings. It was evidently in the Minister's mind to get rid of what was known as palace-cars, and replace them by a passage down tho centre of the cars; but to do this meant reducing tho carrying capaeitv of each car by 5 per cent. The local authority, and not the department, should have tho regulating of the traffic. In race-trains the condition of affairs iu regard to overcrowding was far worse than in'any city tramcar. The travelling public would far sooner put up with present inconveniences than have a substantial increase of fares. The freedom of accident on tho trams as compared with tho railways spoke volumes for the succefs of municipal administration. Mr Davey approved of the restitution of appeal boards, which should bo perfectly independent tribunals. The keeping of the car book was a most necessary provision for the protection of the men, as was evidenced by a recent case in Auckland. Sub-clausc>B9, clause 13, was unanimously struck out last year, but it now made "its reappearance, 'if he understood it Might it gavo power to the Wellington City "Council to construct a tramway to the Hutt without first obtaining the sanction of the ratepayers. Mr Wilford : But the Railways Act governs that. Mr Davey : If it means anything it means that the local authority can build a tramway—it goes far beyond sidings--without consulting the ratepayers, so long as the Minister docs not interfere. Mr M'Ke.'vio: You can strike out the sub-claueo as far as 1 am concerned. Mr Wilford twitted the Ministers of Works and Railways with being in open disagreement on the question of an Appeal Board. They were totally at variance on this point. Why did not the Minister give, himself the right of veto over the de.isioik-: of tho Board? Mr M'Kenzie : Because I ('•■>:-,': want ii. Mr Wilford: But the Minister of Railways demands the right of veto over the decisions of railway appeal hoar-'.*. Why should two different, principles be invoked in regard to trains and tram.--'.' The pio posa! of the Minister to i:ucn'e:e in lnun 1 - eipal undertakings was neither for th; beneiit of the employees nor of the travelling public, nor of the local authority cmcorned. The position of ihe Auckland tramways was responsible for the production of his pernicious P>il!, which did n->'. benelit tho jiubb'e cne i<>ia. Was this ciie of the efforts of the Ministry to enlarge the puv.ors of local bodies as promised m Uie Governor's Speech? >Si'i far as the. Wellington tramways were concerned. they we-e the hest-nianas'-'d trams iu :he Southern Hemisphere. The Minister knew a.-; much about the management of mn'i.cipil tiani-. .is he did about the four :i uimeiiMcn of space. Hon. K. M-Kenzio: Wha'.'s li.-u • Mr Wiilnnl admitted le-; l,e did !.n know much about it hini.-elf until he had been f.ouie time at the head of the Wellington City I'oiiucii'i; Appeal Board. The fact was thai the Minister bad been stiilled. ;uml the seasoning was verv hard to di;*ct-t. As Mayor of Wellington. lv> would tell the public that tiic wanes of the tramway | hands would be inju.-ioudy affected by this : Bill, and in consequence tho fares must go up. The clause relating to overcrowding was tho most dangerous proviidon in the Bill. If Uio public -were not prepared to accept inconvenience during crush hours the present low fares could not be. maintained. He warned the House thai the public would turn and rend tiie Government for interfering in this matter. There was no demand by the public for this governmental interference. If the tramway hands got this Appeal Board fhey would bo as sorry for it as wero the taifway hands to-day, who had an irresponsible [ board to deal wilh, for that wan trio dc script ion of it, by the Minister of Ruiiw.iw. I The Wellington City Council's Appeal Com ; mitteo was as fair'and as impartial a tii i burial as it was possible to conceive. f;-: ; the tramway cnghieor had only tho right ol : suspension; he could net dismiss j Though he held these sentiments 'ho in j tended to vote for this Appeal Roard. j which, ho declared, would woik ill iu tin intorcsts of the men themselves. Mr Poole e.tiongly defended tile ISiil o:i ' braod, humanitarian grounds. The measure ! would not seriouely interfere with local | control, but it would never do to have, a j "shandygaff" control by the Government. ' It was all very well to'talk like ; , speeiai pleader about saving a penny iu. the £ for the ratepayers, but the ma'leiia! interests of the travelling public and of the tramway employees were surely hi-.dier considerations than were commercialism. The Minister, in replying, said thai h.did not interfere between the travel!;;).public and tho iatepayers. Jt the former wero content to put up with inconveniences that was their look out, but ho was determined that the eatery of the public should be the first coiisi delation of his departmental officers.