THE ACCIDENT AT GOVERNMENT HOUSE GATE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 9017, 24 October 1892, Page 3

THE ACCIDENT AT GOVERNMENT HOUSE GATE.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —la this morning's Herald Mr. Cottle, to exonerate himself, puts the blame of the late accident at Government House House gates on the band. Kindly allow me to contradict his statement. He say 3 the members of the band came out of the grounds. Such is not the case, for they never went inside of them, but remained stationery outside of the gates some two or three minutes after the whole of the procession had passed. And when his horse first commenced to plunge the nearest member of the band was fully twelve to fifteen yards away from them. Nor did the band break recklessly through the crowd till they were driven by his horses plunging amongst them, and I believe the members of the police force and the people who were near the scer.e of the accident will bear me out in this statement. Thanking you kindly for publishing this —lam, etc., James Impey, Bandmaster. Newmarket, October 22,1892. TO the EDITOR. Sir,—One of your contributors seeks to blame the municipal authorities for this accident (of course, that is the usual practice), but in this case I think under the particulars stated the accident could not have been well prevented, even it the roadway to Government House gate had been kept by the police and volunteers. So far as the municipal authorities are concerned, they appear to have done all they had the power to do. They notified the route; they have no power to stop the street traffic—unless for repairs, The police, no doubt, for the preservation of life and order, have that power, or usually exercise it. _ The usual practice on previous occasions has been for the police and volunteers, or a sufficient number of them, after the reception in Lower Queenstreet is over, to proceed up Shortlandstreet, and line the entrance to Government House gate. It is a pity this course was not put in practice on the present occasion, as the line of route was repeatedly advertised for the information of the police, volunteers, and public. Your contributor cites as an instance of municipal neglect that it took three lives before a by-law was passed to prevent persons from driving round corners of streets at other than a walking pace. Unfortunately the facts are exactly the reverse, as a reference to your riles would tell you. A by-law was introduced some years since for this object, but was so ridiculed by the versatile press, who remarked we have by-law a-thousand-and - one! How many more of these ridiculous by-laws are the public to be persecuted with ? The result was that some councillors urged the withdrawal of the proposed by-law. Shortly afterwards, however, one old man was killed, and a boy had his leg broken by reckless driving around corners. A howl then arose from the press for a by-law to regulate this traffic. It was introduced and passed into law. The Tram Company stopped the carriages by request; they were not compelled to do so. If your contributor will refer, he will find my statements are, Facts.