ALTERING THE TRAMCARS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15273, 13 October 1911, Page 2

ALTERING THE TRAMCARS

HASTY LEGISLATION. A COSTI/Y EXPERIMENT. (Fiiom Opn Own Conftßsrosnm.) WELLINGTON", Oetober 12. The House at present is thinking mainly of electioneering, and there appears to bo n danger of lotting tilings go by the board in the closing days of the session. Tho result will Ho doubt be slipshod legislation that may cost the loiig-.snlTcring taxpayer dearly in pome According fo Mr Wilford (.Mayor of Wellington, and a prominent Government supporter), the clause that Mr Davey succeeded last evening in introducing into the Tramways Hill i fi a case in point. It will at all events cost Welling ton dearly. Tih> clause referred to rea<ls as follows " (1) All trainoars shall Ih> eonstnicted .'is to provide a passage way from one end of the car to the other; |2j at least 10 per rent, of the existing cars (including cars constructed pursuant to a contract .entered into prior to the pacing of this act) which are not incompliance with this provision shall be concerted annually so as to bring them in I'Minplianre therewith."

" If the Government persists in retaining that clause." said Mr Wilford. "my personal opinion is that the best thing we mil do is to ask the Government to take over the. whole concera, run it, and pay the liabilities." Mr Wilford quotes Inures ami facts in support of his statement. lie rays there arc 63 car affected i>y the clause—43 palace cars, 17 combination cars, and three Hongkong cars, According to the electrical en«incr tho cost Sam car V a toUl . of and the seating capacity will bo reduced from 3000 to 2000, ii will be necessary to provide an additional 30cars o make tilt total carrying capacity of tlie Davey cars equal to that of the ' IP , C 'r tM cars wi " Co6t £1200 each—a total of £36.G0Q. Thus «V$r fi ,c ( C cx, * vo »% h(, re would be iol.ooo. Ihe estimates of £5 an( ) £jq ])D.r car as the cost of alterations (mentioned m the Hoiigo last night) are inadequate for Wellingloj), whore tho narrow w,dtl. of the cars involves reconstruction to effect the specified alterations, 1111,1

, (Pep ' United Press Association*.) WELLING I ON, October 12. I lie L-lpvuse added to lliu Tramways liill nil .Mr Uavcy's motion in the Huuso 0 [ Representatives last night is causing consiilemble discussion among autlioritius. Jho oliuisr is:—"(1) All triimcnis shall be SO constl liclod as to provide a passage-way f.om one end of the ar lo the other, (kj At east 10 per cent, of the existing cars (including cms constructed pursuant, to a contract, entered prior to tiro passing of this act) winch-are not in compliance with tills provision, shall be converted annually so j 1 Wug them in compliance thc/o-

The Mayor (Mr T. M. Wilford) « ns not allowed by Ins medical adviser to bo in us place in the House last night, and was, Uioroforo, triiablc to enter a protest against, the clause, However, Mr Wilford busy to-day. He intends to movo for a le-comiiiitial of the bill with the object . exempting Wellington from the operatiou ot any such clause, or otherwise protecting tins city's interests. ".Mr Wev's clause, ;is jhissoil last night and now "incorporate! in the Tramways Kill j s co j„„ to have an unlooked-for efiect on Welling toils tramway enterprise," said Mr WilKM'U to !1 i'(ut reporter to-day. "]f the Government persists in rctaiiiiiig that clause my personal opinion is that the best , -tiling we can ,| 0 i s to aik the Governlueht to l-iko over the whole concern run it, and pay the liabilities. Under that clause Wellington City, with its nnriuw gauge track, is placed in a must extraonllliat'y position. The extreme width of Mrs allowed by the Government in the City of Wellington is 6ft 6in (hut this (io&s not svilhciunt- room for a ' way between transverse Seats, even if iho 'irnnber of passengers on a lino of crossscats does not. exceed three, two on ono side of the passage and one on the other. Jo comply with the requirements of the clause." continued .Mr Wilford, "it an. .pears to me. that only the box car t.ypo of ear with longitudinal seats will bo practicable, The box type of car is very inconvenient for the loading and uulo.idinß of passengers, and it uses up more iime at thu stopping places than the cross-seat types. The combination typos are the most popular ones, and I think the public will resent, their conversion ink) " hoxrs." Sydney uses a largo number of palace cars, mid more of this type are being built.' I his is the best r.ir for ruuiiing 'n quick satisfactory service." After mentioning Unit tlie Wellington g;ui<je was 4ft compared with 4ft fjjin in Clii-istr.hu] ch and Auckland, -Mr Wilford gave the following contrasts in the maximum dimensions of cars: —Auckland, length 43ft, width 7ft in; plimtchiiicl), 41ft 6in, width Bft ; Wellington, oCft, width 6ft 6iu. Generally the effccl of the Davey clause would bo to innko the scrvice slow and expensive to work," concluded Mr Wilford. The revenue, judged by the latest available figures, would not lie snjlicient to meet till! extra, ruiiiiing eosLs. Moreover, hi'grt loans would liavo to be raised to alter tlio cars and increase the rolling stock. The point to principally intorrst the Wellington public is the declaration of the city authorities that the fares will have to l>o raised if the- Davey clause bo comes law. As an the difficulty of taking an adequate passage from end to pud of a palace car, the old Honghong type is montipned. A width of oft 9iu allowed room for two seats on one side of the, passago and mm on the nthcr, hut this accommodation left the passage onlv !4in wide instead of 6ft Din. The cars are iy>w only Oft 6in wide, by order of tho Public- Works Department.'

[Pkr United Piikss Association-.) CnmSTCllimeil, October 12. The new clause added to the Tramway Act Amendment Bill on the motion of Mr Davey was the subject of a. statement made to a reporter by Mr Geo. T. Booth (chairman of the Christchurch Tramways Board).

.Mr liooth said that if it wore a question ptirelv of providing reasonable sn.frguards against accidental the conductors the board would not lii; disposed to consider the matter of expense. At present the risk t<> a conductor Was so plight as tulle almost negligible, and from that point of view there wan no necessity to limb the change (suggested liy .Mr Du'vey. (in tho other hand, both the safety ami convenience of the public using tlic'trams had to tie considered, and in both these respects the chnngn wwild ho to the dieadvantage of the public. There would lie a diminution in the seating capacity in the furs, and there would ul,-.„ I H > 'considerably more delay in hoarding and alighting, which would niomi delays in trailir. Moreover, if a conductor out of regard for his own safety used the rentr* 1 aide lie could onlv do so at considerably increased risk to t.W passengers using the cars, as lie cnutd not simultaneously be in the centre of a crowded aisle collect, ins fare.-, and on the ground, whore lie should tv when passengers were boarding or alighting at stopping places. .Mr fronth ad<led that if the changes had to

he carried out the crces-scalcd spaces on some of the curs would probably have lo lie c!ikc<l and footboards abolished. T!ic expense of altering tho cars would 1)0 very- considerable. It wan ridiculous to finy that a car could ho altered for £5 or £10. The board would not hesitate to alter the care if the safety of thccondlictors and passengers would be increased bv the alterations, but he could not sec that any benefit would accrue from Mr Davey s proposals.