THE GOOD FRIDAY TRAMS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13857, 21 March 1907, Page 8

THE GOOD FRIDAY TRAMS

OPINIONS OF COUNCILLORS AND OTHERS. In connection with tho running of iho trams on Good Friday, the superintendent of tramways (Mr Alexander) yesterday received Iho following instructions by letter from tho town olerk:— "Mayor's Orders. " His Worship tl» Mayor dirocls that Uic tram service be maintained and tratlic continued o» (load Friday next ill terms of (ho Oider-in-Council." VIEWS OP COUNCILLORS. A number of councillors were see.n by members of otir staff yesterday, uiiil the councillors interviewed generally agreed that tho Mayor was within, his rights in ■taking' the stand lie lias done in tho matter. Cr T. Cole said the tramway employees ■"were, in his opinion, quite entitled to a holiday, hut if tho Mayor bad any idea .'that it would be illegal to give it to them • lie should have det'mitely slated to the council that he could not give effect lo llic council's resolution. Cr .1. 11. Walker said ho did not know '.bow far t.bc Mayor wan justified in overriding decisions come to by the council. ' It opened up a. very wide municipal qucs-•'l-ion; but so far as he could at present (•gather the Mnyor was within bis rights in ' intervening lo prevent an illegal act from being done. Cr ,1. Wilson said he reversed his vote at the special meeting of the council because lie believed, in face of/the Order-iu-Cotincil, Ihe council cotild Ttol legally give ihe men a. holiday on flood Friday. At Ihe same 1 1 iinc. If considered the Mayor was lo vlilnme, because he bid not taken action when the matter was before Ihe council, lie also .considered that, the attitude taken ,l>y the Mayor in over-ruling a decision of the council opened up a, very important • aspect in municipal government. "We were very well aware as a council I that a (!ood Friday holiday for ihe tramitay employees., who are a thoroughly deserving body of men. would not be strictly legal," said Cr •!. (tore. "But.' lie added, " we are acting illegally every day. Neither l.lio Norlh-East, \ T ailey nor the .St. Ki'da Councils havo delegated I heir power conit dined In Ihe Order-in-Cotineil lo the oily. «nd the.tramways on these lines are being : run without, authority. Tile corporation bad no reason to fear any action by the 'suburban bodies, and I think it, very utf'likely that any ratepayer would have, ithought it worth while to Tight the council jtluougli the court.'! on such a case. Putting it'hal oil one side, however, I certainly consider that bad the Mayor at the. commencement. of the meeting yesterday stated that .tho proposed holiday was illegal mid could : iiot be'granted, there would have l>cen an • end to tho matter. No councillor would Jiavc t'arried the matter any fr.rltier."

THE LABOUR VIEW OF THE SITUATION. In tho course, of conversation yesterday with some leading members of the Labour ipart.v, one of our representatives was informed that the, action of the tramway .employees in asking for a holiday on Good ! Friday was not, identified with (lie Tram|way Union. One of those spoken to slated that he could not understand the position tho council had got. itself into over the k-jnatter. "In 1 tlie first place," lio said, "the tramway employees approached the . Tramways Committee for the holiday) and ■ the committee (of which the .Mayor is a .•member) unanimously agreed to recoin,,jncnd the council to grant it. Tho council .subsequently, and almost unanimously, endorsed the committee's recommendation, I and more recently a special meeting of rflie council, by a majority, had ratified the ■former decisions on the matter. Then, in 'tlie face of this, the Mayor, without, notifying llio council officially of the inulter, issued instructions that, the tramways wore to run as usual on (Icod Friday! What were (lie tramway employees to understand from all lliisV Were they the employee.? of the Mayor or tho employees of tho City Corporation? Thb resolutions of the council, if'they were conveyed to the men, would slate thai the trains would not run, and tho memorandum of the j Mayor would slate the opposite. He could not understand who was lo he obeyed in tho matter." Another member of the parly pointed oil), that double time would have lo be iinid to Ihc men for working on Good I'riday, and under the circumstances the trams would almost, certainly be run at a loss. ■ At a well-altended meeting of the Trades and Labour Council, held last evening, the following motion was carried unanimously: "That this council enters its emphatic pro- . lest against tlio -high-handed manner in which his Worship tho Mayor has acted an connection with Ihc decision of tho representatives of the people of Duncdin who granted Hie tramway employees a whole holiday on flood Friday; and, in tho'event of the management running the irams, the workers of Diiiiedin and suburbs •bo urged to marl; Iheir disapproval of suoh action by showing their sympathy for the men by not using the care on that day." l'ULf, SERVICE AT WELLINGTON ON ' - GOOD FRIDAY. (Per United Pw.ss Associatiox.) WELLINGTON, March 20. ■ A ftdl regular tramway service is lo be run in Wellington on Good I'riday. Cars jwill In; run bv a. volunteer force of motorJnen and conductors. Members of ihc staff' were asked individually whether •tUey would run on Good Friday, and onlv 30 replied thai. I hey would prefer not to wfcrk on that day.