THE CABLE CARS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23492, 5 May 1938, Page 16

THE CABLE CARS

" NOT TO BE SCRAPPED M MR MUNRO ON LABOUR'S ATTITUDE THE PRESS ATTACKED AGAIN "I don't know how you people in the hill districts have put up with those little box-like ioritraptior on the cable car: lines as long as you have," said Mr J. W. Munro, M.P., in an address to Roslyn electors last night. ':..•' ~ "Are you going to scrap them?" asked a member.of. the audience. " No." replied the candidate. "It has been put all round the hill suburbs that the Labour Council will do away with the cable cars and put on buses. This is not so. The rumour was started to harm the Labour Party at these elections. We have never discussed scrapping the cable cars. I would, however, like to see larger trucks and the rails set further apart. Then, too, the dars should be closed in, both for the convenience of the public and the safety of the conductors. : 'Why," Mr Munro continued, "1 went down to the city last night from Kaikorai, and I asked one of the conductors if he ever fell off the cars. He replied that they often did." "Not very often," said an interjector. ! "' "■' "That's what > the conductor told hie," ■Mr Munro replied. The newspapers of the city came in for their customary attack at the hands of the speaker, but his remarks were not received with general approval. , . " Never in all-my'political career," Mr Munro said, " have I known the Dunedin newspapers to attack a party as they have attacked Labour at this election. They have evidently taken it upon themselves to run the affairs of the city. Never before have I seen so many anonymous letters against the one party. But do not be misled," he added. " These letters are all being written by members of the newspaper staffs." " Prove it," was an interjector's chcllldlJsEG* "Prove it? I don't need to," said Mr: Munro. "I;am stating'it. The newspapers should prove that' it is not so." ■■• '■ '-*';■ './• •

"Nonsense!, We'll let it go at that," were two replies. Mr Munro mentioned that his opponents were going round spreading nasty rumours about the Labour Party.'/ These stories, he said, always, went round the city at election times.

"But," he concluded, "the Labour Party never spreads malicious rumours against its opponents." :