SUNDAY TRAM QUESTION

New Zealand Herald, Volume XL, Issue 12364, 1 September 1903, Page 3

SUNDAY TRAM QUESTION

At lie meeting of the Oiiehunga Borough Council last nijrhfc a letter was read from the Rev. W. Siude, who stated that at a. largely-attendod semes lwkl iti the Methodist Church. Oaelmnga, on August 25. a, resolution was adopted protesting against the present Sunday ram service, which, he said, had' been inaugurated without regard to tho wishes of the people of Onehunga. The meeting . further requested •' the Council to take each steps as will .greatly limit the number of trams to be run on the-Lord's Dav.

Mr. P. M. Hansen wrote, on 'this question as follows:—" 1 read with regret 'that your Council sltould view with feelings of-greafc regret the fact that we are running on Sundays a frequent service to and from Onehunga. never, permit me to point, out, to you that we are not in a, position to reduce such service us long as the permission to run ears on Sundays within the city boundary has ivot_ been granted. In order to keep one engine fully employed it: is necessary for m to run a certain number ot oaiv, aud ii; is ' or this Jensen that we had to adopt u-quarter of an hour service." Both letters were received, ami it was "re. solved to reply to the Rev. W. Slade that, )..<■ question _of a time-table for Sunday trams would ho considered by the Council' as soon as the opinion of the lwrongh solicitor litis been received. The matter of Sunday trams was referred to at last night meeting of the-Newmarket Borough Couiie.il by "he Mayor (Mr. ,T. Mc-t-oll), who said that, provided fcho poll went in favour of i.iie company ho would raise no objection. i But 10 manager of the company had stolen a march on the people >£ the citv by not asking them at the first to decide on the question. He did not say vi'\ kVi' 1 * alust a limited Sundav s<>r}ice, but he did not like to be "had, 5 ' aU cl he had not expected that matters would so Tf th? 1, tl0! -f' J !y taki »S a- plebiscite J J;?, W l e lty , ° f 6 °' ooo I* o * l * k^oro fitar.mg , 10 Sunday trams, the company would .have at least been treating NpJ? market and I ftrncll better.

DISCISSION BY PAR XELI, COUNCIL'. In accordance with a. notice of motion Air Las ev moved ! ,'M login's '»<*"»? of the •in t'll Borough Council, "That the'opinion of th.> solicitors to the Council he obtained ;; to whether '« Auckland Electric 'JPra.niways Company have the right to inn their ranis through the borough on Sundays,' and tso to what, CX,O! " . have the Council power to nßtilnto the running of the trains.* The ino\er said there were a. good main- ratepayers who were against the running if Simday trains besides himself, and though they "tin 1 i 111 1 minority yet they were ell Mr V> 0 " 1 '- 'consideration. -Mr. 1-owler seconded the motion. - Iv. tola tor moved as an amendment " That seeing that a poll ris ,0 be taken 111 the eitv hi.-, matter be left over . until the result 'i* known. , JIo was of opinion hilt, the result O the poll m the city would express the views of tie .suburbs m equal proportion. If Sunday trains did not. pay then, then they would soon cease running. ' IU ford.'° a " ,ondll,ent ' as seconded by Mr. P e fc. -Mr. Bcale said personally lie was in favour ot the ha, .' and he thought it went to show the opinion of ratepayers: that no petition had been got. up.so far. Those who the few!* ''' glUst 1110 were only

Mr. ilioniiiH was. prepared to support ill* attei part of the motion in regard to the power the Council had to regulate the rim >ung of the cars. He felt, that, they had absolutely no right to say "Yea" or Nay" to lie trams funning on Sundays. In"regard to' the time t service the Council had power to regulate that. Ho was not going to smuvirithe motion in its entirety. ■ : sup W ,b . Air- Wood said in his own personal experience he found that, the people he came in contact, with objected to the Sunday cars running every ten or twenty minuted "From h's own point of view he objected to the carrying on l of busings on Smudgy. Mr Wood did not object to a limited m vice ami believed that people should enjoy tho '£ sures ot such places as Cornwall Park Tn replying Mr. Basley said ha could sos that the majority of the Council were again"is Inn., nevertheless ho believed that it was a „re.it wrong .to run the ears on Sunday It was simply turning tho Sabbath into a"day i,ira, " re -w» & The amendment was here put and lost This amendment was also lost ihe motion was next put and .lost « th« casting vote of the Mayor.

• TO THE EDITOR. • .Sir, In a recent issuo of th 0 Heratn pt iidsz •St. Mattheyr s, and Mr. P. M. Hanson managing director of the. Electric Tramway* Company A ijj reference to th T Sunday tram rni^ 6 A ( letter from Mr. Hansen to Mr. t.dlam on Hie same subject is also ff'vcn'ia extenso. Jit. Hansen is unfortunately la" &"tho wider a great elusion in supposing ii at the Rev. TV. E. llam represents either this churches, or the toilers •£ Air. Hansen's letter conveys the imnrwi. «?n Ar* I r! f^ ti ' ltior,s have ' en proceeding with Mr. C.jllimu as ° the advisability of getting the consent of the citizens to run the trams, and on what conditions their permission would 11 m be obtained and bo actable to the Tram Company. Who am they whoso souls are unhappy because I,lis rams do not rush through our streets on, the Day of Rest, and arc mad when they, think cof the possibilities of making gain; out of their fellows on such a day '! Can ib bo said truthfully of any wan or woman in. this city taut they despise the Sabbath Day., the day when they are not allowed to work, i the (.ay given by the good God to every man as his own day wherein he can do as much resting as he pleases, hut has no power to* compel Ills fellows to lift their little lingers as worker.? and toiler? on that day without incurring the special displeasure of our. Father, G<»d ! We arp all free men one* day in every seven, and we certainly have not to thank man for it. How many men would be employed if th® trams were running on Sundays, do you say?. About 150 tram bauds, waiters and barmen'—, (how . many do you think V)— the police if, the district, fruit shops, restaurants, and } many others who will be drawn into thw vortex, nolens volens. And tho parishioners of the city churches, what of them '{ That? depends altogether 011 the way they have 'been influenced by their ministors. If the sanctity of the One Day lias been taught and! enforced, then the people will know ant', value 'the day for the sake of the Giver andl their own well-being; but if not, why, as a j matter of course, they will go away fron» i the city for the day. Too busy making pro--I parations for the Sunday trip, they would not go to church in the morning; and much, too. tired and too late when they returned home they certainly would not go to church in the evening. Under these circumstance* it might, after all. be more expedient foi the ministers to use their influence against . the Sunday trains.— am, etc., .). J. Macet. .Auckland, August 27, 1903. TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —1 am pleased to see that the Rev, W. E. (Jillam has been able to get an understanding from the manager of the tramways limiting "die hours of Sunday traffic. But for the timely interposition of the vicar, of St. Matthew's it is _ probable there would have been no restriction as to the hours of running. lam in favour of Sunday trams, but I had no wish to see congregations disturbed during Divine service. As a councillor I may say that the compromise has relieved mo of a difficulty, and I have 110 doubt other councillors will also appreciate the position. We shall now be able to agree to a time-table which will limit the traffic during certain hours, to be regarded as sacred to public worship. I believe that many citizens who were somewhat averse to any Sundav tram."! will now be willing to vote fc.i the Sunday • service.— am, etc., A Councillor. It might have been in olden times quite th« proper thing. To take a lor of blackbirds to set- before * • king, But fashions change, and so do kings, And now it seems to me That_ nothing pleases royalty but Arthur Xariian's Reliable Tea.

Kerosene has again fallen in price, and i now being extensively used for cooking purposes. The following letter received from a Manurewa settler by Messrs. Win gate and Co.. ironmongers, Queen-street, speaks for itself:—"My wife desires me to say she is delighted with the ' Perfection' stove, purchased fivo months ago. Both she and a. neighbour who recommended it have entirely discarded their cooking ranges, preferring the 'Perfection' on account of quickness and cleanliness, also its economy in fuel and labour." It lias long been discovered that poor „ quality and inferior workmanship is the OS J expensive tailoring. You can get tha best value for your money from Postles and Palmer, tailors, hatters, arid cuts Iters, Strand, Queen-street.