A STRONG PROTEST

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7852, 14 July 1911, Page 8

A STRONG PROTEST

The proposed tramways regulations ] Acre discussed by the City Council last night. The discussion was preceded by a question put to the Acting-Mayor by Councillor Fletcher, who asked by what j authority a document from the Public Works Department marked "Confidential” was handed to a reporter? In tho tramways coin re if tee it was moved by himself that the department bo written to asking that tho embargo of "confidential" bo removed from tho docn. mont. Bailing this, that the council proceed to discuss it in open meeting. Who gavo instructions to a certain ofliccr to hand the report to one paper and not to another? Tho Acting-Mayor: I did, npon my own authority, at 11 o’clock on Wednesday night, because 1 believed it was in tho best interests of tho city that the matter should bo made public. Councillor Fletcher; Then it is not right that an agreement come to in committee should bo broken by the ActingMayor. The Acting-Mayor: lam quite prepared to take any censure regarding my action. THE MINISTER'S VIEW. Under Thursday’s date Mr Blow, Under-Secretary for Public Works, wrote to the town clerk : "Immediately on receipt of yonr recent letter, wherein you asked the department to withdraw tho confidential restriction as regards these regulations, I submitted the matter to tho Minister of Public Works by wire, and ho now directs me to inform yon that unless your council is prepared to state any objections it may have to the regulations confidentially, tho copies of tho draft regulations already sent you by tho department, should bo returned to this office. If, therefore, the council cannot regard tho regulations confidentially, will you please return them to this office accordingly.” CO-OPERATION OF MUNICIPALITIES Telegrams, in reply to a message sent out by tho town clerk, at the request of tho Acting-Mayor, wer e received from tho principal municipalities of tho Dominion, agreeing to be represented at a conference to be held in Wellington to consider tho regulations. the proposed conference. Dealing with the general question, the Antmg-Mavor said tho proposed conference he had called for the 2-ith mst. would have short time in which to meet, ae the regulations were to. he gazetted on the 31st last. They had the opinion of Mr Richardson that these regulations would 60 .complicate matters that neither managers nor conductors would know what they were about. There were so many ways in which the regulations woukl hamper tho men that they could, not be carried out. This legislation by regulation was.very unwise. The Governmeut would not apply such regulations to its railways. Tneu why to municipal tmm ways? The railways were often run to the great inconvenience of many people inreragh overcrowding. Councillor Fletcher said he had no doubt that most councillors had already made up their minds on this question. The council should take every possible stop to safeguard the powers of local bodies, whicu should be rather exteucleu than diminished. If the regulations were given oil out io, they might as well hand over the tramways to ihe Government. Ho moved: — That tho Wellington City Council enter its omphalic protest at the unwarrantable interference hy tne Government m connection witn tne issue ot regulations that will seriously aliect the working of tramways; and, iurtner, that united action be taken hy a conference of the various tramway authorities shortly to ba held, with a view oi eliminating or modnying the impracticable clauses in tne regulations, and the date of, such conference to be tne I’lch inst. CONFISCATION OP TRAMWAYS. Councillor Fitzgerald seconded the motion. It seemed to him that this was the second instalment of tho complete confiscation ot tne tramways ot the Dominion. Duo regald to tne .safety and convenience of tne public had been the caidmal point of ihe management of the ■Wellington tramways. There was strong reason to protest against the proposed inspection. It was tne City Council s engineer that the Governor thanked lor his work in connection witn the sanitation of Government House, and not the Public Works Department, allowing what his Excellency tnought ot civic supervision. Councillor Frost, in supporting the resolution., said that as one who had seen the various tramway services of the Dominion. he believed that all the services would be thrown into a state of chaos if tho regulations were adopted There must bo some ulterior motive behind all these regulations, with tho. idea of the Government ultimately taking over the tramway systems of tho Dominion. Councillor Fuller thought they should ask every Mayor in New Zealand to join in this protest. In view of what was happening tho people of New Zealand would soon have to. ask for a written constitution, otherwise they would find themselves upside down. Councillor McKenzio considered the document tho most uutactful parcel of regulations over issued from any Government department. Tho whole thing aimed at tho foundation of municipal governmonit in this country. Ho had not heard of a single accident caused by overcrowding. If tho regulations wore enforced tho council should defy them. GOVERNMENT POSSESSION.

Councillor Atkinson said it looked as if the Government wanted to obtain complete possession of municipal enterprises. The Government should go "right at if' by statute instead of in the present fashion. The cars, according to the regulations, would bo reduced to a walking pace in the main streets of the city. It was absurd. What a delightful time the conductors would have! There was nothing about hot-water bottles or chest protectors in the regulations. Tire result of tho protest by the council might bo the provision of a tew more clauses. The whole tiling was farcical. It was a delightful touch of Gilbert and Sullivan opera. He complimented the city engineer on Ills report, and believed that nothing approachn. Mr Richardson's capacity was shown by the framers of the regulations. Councillor Barber expressed snrpiusc that the Government should do anything to check municipal enterprise. Such regulations wore likely to handicap any enterprise on the part of municipalities throughout tho Dominion. lie could not concoivo that the Government desired to annex £be tramway undertakings, and he disagreed with any remarks in that direction. At tho same time, tho council should bo allowed to manage its own affairs.

Councillor McLaren referred to the «s a confused bundle of im-

practical)rules. DA did not think the Min Mer bad <acr ami the* regulations. He suggesto/l that they were compiled hv an officer insanely desirous of clutching every control ho could, possibly got his hand on. Not only would the tramway authorities throughout tho country onpO'C the regulations, hut ho was satisfied that the whole of the employees woukl do likewise. Not only was it_ ; breach of faith with tho municipalities but Vi was <i broach ot faith with Xkirliamerit as well. If it had not been for th*' reiterat'd assurances of the Minister that tiro Government only wanted to .safeguard tho life and limbs of employees and the general public, tho Bill would never have been passed. SLEDGE-HAMMER NEEDED. Councillor Cameron did not think there was any political move in tho matter at all. Tho regulations were too absurd for consideration. They had boon referred to ms a "hydra-headed monster/' lie agreed with the term, and was of opinion that the monst<T should bo hit on tho head with a sleds© hammer. Councillor Oodlier considered that tho regulations wore iniquitous. On tho 0110 hand the Government said it would give municipalities mar© power, and on tho other it did its bout to restrict those powers. Tho whole thing was monstrous. The motion was carried unanimously. 3t was announced that tho conference of local bodies concerned would be hold in tho council chamber on tho morning of .July 21th, and a public mooting would bo held in tho Town Kali in tho evening. Tho local bodies Invited up to tho present arc:—Christchurch, Dunedin, Invercargill, Napier, Wanganui, Auckland, Miramar, and Karon. Tho question of asking other local bodies to bo represented on general grounds is to be considered during the course of the next few days. VIEWS OF THE MAYOR (To tho Editor " N.2. Times/’) Sir,—l do not propose to criticise the regulations seriatim, as the City Council will deal with them to-night. It does not scum right to rue that I should autidpato thoir deliberation© Speaking generally, I rojoico in tho text of the regulations, for their very absurdity will Rave tho situation. When I 1 ought tho Tram-way Bill in Parliament all through one long night last session, I told the House that the Minister was storing up far himself a heap ci trouble, and that witlun twelve months tho general public, the local authorities, and the tramway employees themselves would bo ready to rend lllm. You know how my protest wan received Even under the constitution oi the Appeal Board some of the tramwaymen have cursed the Act, and, when, they understand better tho hydro-beaded monster they have helped to rear, they will sod that my protest for tho city and for them was a just and proper one. I do not believe the Minister of Public Works ha* read these proposed regulations 1 believe he may have indicated broadly his suggestions, while his department, which lias never had any practical experience whatever of tramway management, has framed tho same from copies of otner regulations elsewhere. It has sent them along for the purpose of obtaining practical suggestions from practical nica for practical regulations. There is one great consolation to me, and that is this; The unworkable nature of tho regulations, ae forwarded by the Public Works Department, will bo the city’s safeguard and tho public’s protection. I shall be up and about in a short time from now ana will promise a healthy consideration of the interests of the city—l nm, etc., THOMAS M. V/TLFORD, July 13th.