THE TRAMWAYS BILL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 14530, 18 November 1910, Page 6

THE TRAMWAYS BILL.

• ATTACK ON ' LOCAL p cWi'|||| CITY COUNCIL'S PROTEST. --"Jl , The amended Tramways BUI, ae report** $ upon by the Labour Bills Committee!® 1 the House of Representatives, ' waa^-rfoiil ported upon by the town , clerk I W. Wilson) at the meeting of the' Citr^? Council lafit evening. He pointed JS! - m the first place, that the t were largely m the direction 'of . i mOToy ; ;I . ing the original Bill. Allowing*lllll policy - of Government certificates' for \ , en to bo correct, the amendments } in regard to certificates had ttateriaJlyjS improved the clause. In clause 3-SI - power of , ' he Minister to have the trS 1 Way and lts appliances,. etc., inspect/;'# 1 was now wnfinod to the question , safety of the public, or employees MM • words "or to meet the reasonable idsMgS r S;:?. 6 traffic" bsing struck "oat , This would leave to the City f k i P° wer t0 6a y Aether the plant and M f ,n S sto were sufficient to meet 't&M . reasonable requirements of the ' t'rafif"^l- - Similarly the inspection and • licensing IBS . tramcars by the Government was rJfeM i ted to the question of safety, the asnfed<4^ of convenience being still left with tfosl r local bod y- Clauses 5 and 12 entirely , moved from the Council the power fe W-3 licenses. As the Council could not I fees for licenses which ib did not ice -^ i 5 there would be a loss of at least £200 a — year to the Council from this source, f llp The town clerk drew attention to the 5 . proposal to permit "minimum/fare". cars : r to be run without reference to the local -- ■ I body through whose district such cars ~ ran. This, in his opinion, wag wrong in ■ principle. Another clause proposed to *\f l give power to lay conduita and erect over- ' i head wires, etc., to carry electricity or ' tramway purposes along struts and ' I through districts in which the tramways may not be laid. He thought that'll ; bodies concerned should have a voice in the selection of the routes ."and methods -|| to be employed, instead of leaving the .@1 whole decision with the Governor, i:A Mr. P. M. Mackay said the- protests. Si male against the Bill still held good. The i amendments made by the cwnrfiitige con»'j ceded only one point, namely, the' Coancil was still permitted to require an in- ?! crease of rolling stock, machinery, plant, ijvjf etc. This power was attacked in ths origi- J nal Bill, but the words referring thereto ij had now been struck out. ||l! took from the Council the inspecting and licensing of cars— meant a losM of revenue the fixing of the number of passengers for- each ear, which ' tended to conflict with the teal's " **■' power to provide for the conveniencfe of passengers, ' the : fixing of the speed, and the providing of the 'piwifi appliances, etc., on cars for the ,fcaf«ty of" >^3 passengers. In taking- awayf'/r: powers, the provisions .of the Order-in-Council and deed of delegationl; aside. A new proposal had ktely ctagfj- "• forward, namely to allow the coxrtpany, run minimum fare ' cars without • ence to the Council. ; sometimes accused, without ); of. letting the ; Tramways : CiMpahy|^gi|^|| their own way, but with --.the clause the Tramways . Company^wdaU^i^!! have power to defy the ; Council. . I||||| r were thought advisable to ; obtain tbUpower of running minimum .fare ; caia, power should be vested in, local JlpiS 'and not 'in the opmpaay. |, Mr. R. Tudehope said it a shame that the Government should de-V" prive the Council of the powers conferred .;: • upon it by -the deed; of delegation.- , ; Mr. C. J. Parr said whilst the Bill pfo- " posed to deprive ; the Council of cekalf 1 -. powers, it did not make it clear whether.-^ ' certain other functions were jto cised by the Council or the- • It was resolved that the ; town clai^fe^'l. report be adopted, and that » strong j test against the Bill be made to the:^^|~: v ' vernment; also, ; that . the ; Auckland hers of Parliament be on the subject. p -