THE HUMAN EQUATION.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXVI, Issue 5163, 2 January 1904, Page 4

THE HUMAN EQUATION.

Tho newspapers have of Into been full of tho human equation. Yesterday, for example, we read of tho presence of mind and courageous resource of that corporal of tho Capo Police who rescued a German lieutenant from the clutches of his Hottentot assailants. A still more striking action was that tho bravo -Sew South Wales coach driver who avoided a tremendous disaster by tho bold expedient 'of steering his horses right on to a railway line and galloping in front of tho railway tram until it could be stopped. These brave men did tho right thing at the right moment, and without a chanco for consideration of any kind. In the lamentable accident on the Auckland electrical tramways, of which tho nows columns of all the newspapers arc still full, there appears to hayo been instances of tbo same kind of thing, and instances in which tho human equation does not sbino in a light quite so brilliant. At the present etago it is, ol course, impossible to go far into particulars. One may adrairo tho presence of mind and courage of tbo men who held on to the trolley-pole, and of those who carried women and children out of danger just where the danger was thickest. Ono may at tho same time, only wonder about tho conductor of the combination car, whether ho jumped off tho car really without warning tho passt tigers, or whether the allegation to that effect by ono of tho witnesses was a mistake. Ono may wonder also whether tho motorman of tho runaway car lost his head, as the engineer’s evidence scorns to imply that ho did. But it may safely bo said that in tho 0110 case it is not possible to train men to the horoio presence of mind required for tho first kind of exploits,'while 'on tho other baud it is quite possible to train men to keep tbeir heads in time of danger by systematic methods. You cannot give a man inspiration, hut you can prevent him from losing his head. It would ho quits out of tho question to lot care loose on down grades just to train tho motormon and conductors to the proper use of tho brakes. Something might bo done by sudden and rapid, above all rapid, questions. Knowledge, complete and familiar, is the best specific, and this can bo acquired for tho tramway sorvico by tho mastery of tho principles of electric scicnco mid by experience of every detail of tho working machinery, and tho resujfcs in every case. This is tho kind of knowledge to be imparted to tho conductors and motormon on tho Yfcllingcon tramways. Tho announcement to that effect has greatly reassured tho public mind, because it can now fool sure that tho men will face their duties as thoroughly prepared for all possible emergencies as it is in human power to make them. As they arc, in addition, to have tho best brake p civ or in tho worjd, tho chances’ of serious accident on tho Wellington, tramways of the future may bo regarded as small.