INJURED BY TRAMS

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 970, 13 May 1930, Page 11

INJURED BY TRAMS

TRANSPORT BOARD ASKED TO HELP CHILDREN BOY CRIPPLED FOR LIFE Parents of two children, a boy and a girl, who were hurt in tram accidents, made application to the Transport Board this morning for ex gratia grants. m one case a schoolboy became crippled for life through falling between a tram bogie-wheel and a safety zone while he was alighting from the moving car, nearly two years ago. His mother, a widow, claimed £1.700 from the tramways, but the pending Supreme Court action was settled by compromise on the understanding that £BSO was paid to claimant. The sum was paid over to the Public Trustee, to be held for the boy’s maintenance. The widow wrote to the board today that her only income was £2 10s a week. Of this she received £1 from the Public Trustee for the boy’s maintenance, £ 1 came to her as a widow’s pension and the 10s was a grant from the Hospital Board. The woman had three children, all still at school, including the injured lad, who was now 17, and attended the Technical College, where he was taking a business course. He had to travel daily to and from school in a taxi, which cost her £ 1 a week, leaving only 30s for household expenses. Applicant herself had a weak heart and was unable to do hard work. LITTLE GIRL INJURED The second application concerned a girl of four who suffered injuries to an ankle necessitating amputation of the foot. The accident occurred in Symonds Street last November, when the victim was crossing the street at a busy hour, hand in hand with another child, aged live. The solicitors for the injured child’s parents were satisfied that no blame was attachable to the tram motorman. The father was a cleaner in a picture theatre. “Although we are not legally liable this is a very unfortunate case,” remarked Mr. E. H. Potter, in respect of the first. “The position is that this unfortunate woman has insufficient to live on. Her object is to educate her son. It is very evident to me that the Public Trustee is paying out some of the principal in order to give the woman the £1 weekly.” Mr. E. J. Phelan: So he should. Mr. Potter: But this is reducing the boy’s allowance. Could we not make this woman a grant of £100? Mr. E. Morton: Could not something be clone to reduce the taxi charge? It seems to be a lot. Mr. M. J. Coyle suggested that if somebody could put the lad on the trams the board should give him free rides to and from school. Mr. Phelan: We should proceed cautiously. If anything is done we must do it in a right manner. It was finally decided that the board’s officers be asked to report on both cases.