CHRISTCHURCH CARRIERS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 8120, 20 September 1904, Page 3

CHRISTCHURCH CARRIERS.

CHARGES AND GRIEVANCES. Carriers in Christchurch regard the new by-laws with in-diffeoence. The regnilatioiis do not deal with tlie " bad marks," and as bad marks are the carriers' pet aversion and chief source of grievance, by-laws tibat do not provide for penalising them are of no consequence. "Who are the bad marks?" a reporter asked a couple of -carriers in Cathedral* Square to-day " The semi-toffs," one of tihem* replied ; "the people who are well daxissed and who have no money. There are plenty of them in Christchuroh. 'They ''ihave' us at every turn. We take their luggage to the railway station, and then find that tihey have no money to pay the oharge. What can we do? It won't pay ue to take the luggage back again, anci we have no power to keep possession until the money is paid. The only thing is to * knuckle down-' to it and enter up tihe job as a bad on©. You would be surprised at thei sums I have on my books. When the ' semi -toffs ' can pay, they want to cut the price down, ] growling at any charg© we *may make. On tlie other handi there are many people who pay us mucin more than we ask. A young lady the other day (was askedy for 4s for taking her lugage to' the station, and paid 6s. We look upon luggage as the best kind of work we do, \.as people are generally in a hurry to get it away, and there is not much losis of time over it. One of our grievances is against the cabbies. The quantity of luggage cabs may carry should be strictly regulated. They are supposed to carry not more than a hundredweight, but I have seen them carrying nearly a ton. This kind of thing is unfair to us." In reply to a question the carrier said that the oarriers had no Union, but there wae a general agreement among them as to the charges. They did not, as a rule, nsk as much as 'is set forth in the new by-laws, which make/ the following charges: — By distance: For every load transferred or carried for any distance within and not exceeding one mile, 3s; for every -suibsequept , half-mile or par. thereof, ls ; for a fractional part of a load by special agreement, detention to he paid foi: at the rate per half-hour or part of a half -hour, Is 6d. By tinie: For every' quarter of an hour or part thereof durhur the first hour. Is; for each subsequent quarter of an hour or part of a quarter of an hour after the first hour, 9d. mmmmmm^mmm^m^mmmmm^mmmt