LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13286, 19 September 1906, Page 4

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

RE LOCKED TRAMCAR DOORS.

■ Sir,— your permission I should like to say a few words in reply to the letter which appeared in your last Thursday's issue signed by "M.D." To begin with, I beg to state that the Government absolutely re{uses to allow passengers to get in or out of the small cars from the rnotorman's plat, form, except at the termini. This being the ease,' we must keep the door at the motorman's etui fastened from the outside, as otherwise people would again and again break this rule laid down by the Government and thus get the Tramways Company into serious trouble. "M.D." states "that there would be no means of controlling the car or rendering service to the motormr.ii in ease of injury to the latter, except by breaking the door, which is much stronger than is apparent." In reply I can assure " D." that he is entirely wrong in making such statements. It is quite as simple and requires less time for a conductor to stop a car from the rear platform than by going through the car to the front, localise- all our ears are provided with circuit breakers and hood switches and in the event of a motorman meeting with an accident all the conductor has to do is to cut out his circuit breaker or hood switch, thus cutting off the current, and then apply the rear brake, and by this action he will bo able to stop the car as stated in less time than from the front platform.. Here 1 might say that all out conductors have been thoroughly trained in this operation, and on several occasions accidents have been avoided by their prompt action in such cases. As far as "M.D. s' statement is concerned that the front door is much too strong to be easily broken, I beg to remind him that the upper portion of outdoors consists of a pane of glass, which under special circumstances could easily be sufficiently broken to enable anyone to open the motorraan's door from the outside. p. M. Hansen, Managing Director. The Auckland Electric Tramways Co., Ltd. SIR GEORGE GREY'S COLLECTION, CAPETOWN. Referring to the. question of the Grey collection of manuscripts in the Cape Library and your sun-leader thereon this morning, J would beg to point out, that in the second edition of "Polynesian Mythology," published in 18S5. Sir George Grey, in the preface, enters very fully into this matter, and the circumstances which governed his actions at the time. The following extracts from the preface may prove of interest at the present juncture. Referring to the'articles deposited in the Cape Library, he says:—"ln 1858 they were, however, all carefully arranged and catalogued, when it appeared that the collection contained 301 printed volumes, nearly all in the Maori language, and 223 manuscripts, and that the latter documents contained' 10,000 pages. The tabulated form which follows was published at Capetown in 1358, and shows the size of the various books and manuscripts which are deposited in the library at that place." DESCRIPTION OF BOOKS. MAORI , LANGUAGE. 1.. Publications. Books. Leaves Folio . - • ~: 132 .264 Quarto ■•. «t ••. •?• }< ,*» Octavo " ... .*- .* ... 79 4,707 Duodecimo ... -i >». 67 1.556 Ecdecimo and smaller ... 16 906 Total of publications ... 301 8,171 11., Manuscripts. Folio ... .. -.. =.. 174 3,564 Quarto ... ... .« - .. 44 990 Octavo ... '•'•«.'. ~.;• ••■ » 491 Total of manuscript* ... 223 5,04.. Total of Maori books .*. 524 13,216 Sir George thou goes on to describe the circumstances in which the manuscripts were written, giving the names of a number of the most celebrated old chiefs, such a* Rangihaeuta, To Rauparaha, Pota.tau, Te Hechou, etc., who had assisted in the work. Further on lie says: "But in the Auckland Library will also be found a. considerable collection of manuscript South African literature, which would be of great value to the Capo Library. I must, thus seem to have made an injudicious arrangement regarding the place of deposit of groat historical treasures. . . - Perhaps still advantages may ho derived from the arrangement which was made. The learned of the Cape of Good Hope and of New Zealand must,, in time, bo driven into frequent, .and intimate , correspondence regarding the sources-of information which the two "countries mutually possess of their early history, and '• of the native populations which ' inhabited each of two such important portions of the world.' From such correspondence and literary intimacy great mutual advantages may arise to each of these two places. Ultimately, 1 have no doubt also that frequent exchanges ot literary treasures will take, place between them, and that they will thus, each of them relinquishing something, gradually acquire those manuscripts which in their respective estimations they think it most desirable that each country should possess." It seems most fortunate that we have the wishes of the great donor, sot forth so clearly, and I think the respective trustees in cacti country could look on wishes so expressed iu the light of a will. H. D. M. Haszakd.

FUNERALS AT WAIKUMETE. Sir,—ln your paper the other day you publish a letter from the Rev. E. C. Budd asking the" Auckland City Council to urg* the Government to put on a daily train to Waikumeto Cemetery, to which the Council resolved to forward the letter to the Railway Department, asking their willingness to run such a train at a-quarter past two p.m. daily, I suppose Sunday included. Waikumeto is undoubtedly much too far away .from the city and approached by a very bad read, and occupies much time in reaching it, but the question of expense by the present moans at our disposal is in its favour. Cab proprietors are running their vehicle* in proportion to the occupied time, combined with wear and tear, at a reasonable price, and are asking no less a price to Onehunga.(though it is nearly two hours less a journey), but if the railway authorities decide to put a daily train on, the question of expense will certainly not be reduced. For instance the railway authorities' minimum for the conveyance of a corpse anywhere under 25 miles is 20.-. The passenger fare to Waikumete second class return is one shilling and sixpence; the difference between charge of a hearse to Waikumeto and Auckland station is ss; cab carrying five people 7s 6d and the time, one's own. The train fares at Is 6d each for the same number would make up the 7s 6d difference, and on the minimum charge for carriage of corpse leave 15s in favour of the present means of conveyance, and the time your own, not forgetting the refreshments by the way for those thirsty souls who attend many funerals. Poor Waikumete Cemetery has a bad name in the mind of the public,'. for which we mar blame the Auckland City Council of twenty years ago, for no cemetery ever was opened for burials in a. more negligent and forlorn state. For many years very little attention was given to make it any better, consequently when the name i 3 often mentioned for burial, the undertaker receives the reply, "Oh, no. not that horrible place, anywhere but that." Certainly the present City Council' have endeavoured to rectify these gross errors, and have lately spent over six hundred pounds, some of which might have been spent much more wisely, by putting * straight road across the cemetery instead of the winding- one made. And fancy! Although this cemetery lias been open over 20 years never has there been one path tarred, sanded, or hardened in anyway. Waikumete got a bad name years ago", and bike the bad dog it will always stick to it. Thos. J. Mclvor. A NASTY PRACTICE. Anyone going to the grocers', confectioners', and bakers 1 shops, not omitting the large one*, and asking for. biscuits, lollies, or cakes, etc., in nine eases out of ten the assistant will lick his or her fingers before taking a bug. In fact, in m experience 1 cannot call to mind an instance where the shopkeeper has avoided this nasty method. Some time ago the tram conductors were blamed for this same thing; they have mended their ways, though passengers had no intention of eating their tickets. Then how very much worse when the articles bought are for consumption without cooking. It is to mo amazing that managers and proprietors of large shops .should permit so objectionable a method of handling their goods, and I hope that this letter will meet the eye of such and that a more cleanly habit will be insisted on. Obsekvkb. "