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1910. NEW ZEALAND.

AUCKLAND CITY AND SUBURBAN ELECTRIC TRAMWAYS. (REPORT OF THE ROYAL COMMISSION APPOINTED TO INQUIRE INTO THE EFFICIENCY OF THE BRAKES, AND SUITABILITY OF THE BRAKE SYSTEMS, ADOPTED ON THE AUCKLAND CITY AND SUBURBAN ELECTRIC TRAMWAYS.)

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

REPORT. To His Excellency the Right Honourable William Lee, Baron Plunket, Knight Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George, Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order, Governor and Commander-in-Chief in and over His Majesty's Dominion of New Zealand and its Dependencies. May it please Your Excellency— By the Commission intrusted to us by Your Excellency we were directed, (a.) To ascertain whether, having regard to the grades of the Auckland City and suburban electric tramways, to the speeds at which cars travelled thereon, to the congested street traffic, to the safety of the public, and also to the provisions of clause 48, Part 111, of the" Second Schedule of the Tramways Act, 1908, the systems of brakes already adopted, or any of them, are suitable, efficient, and sufficient for use on the said tramways : (b.) If, in our opinion, the said brakes were not suitable and sufficient, to state what other form of brake we would recommend, having regard to all the circumstances and conditions under which the said tramways are operated, for adoption on the said tramways : (c.) To generally make inquiry into any matter or thing arising out of or connected with the subjects of inquiry hereinbefore mentioned, and into the working of the existing law, or regarding the necessity or expediency of any new legislation in respect thereof. Our attention was also directed to the fact that the Auckland Tramway Company had, by the consent of the Minister of Public Works, installed for experimental purposes on two of its cars a pneumatic wheel-brake. The great diversity of practice, the widely differing opinions held by tramway authorities, and the admitted difficulty of obtaining a single satisfactory solution of this complicated problem, -rendered it evident to us that a full and" searching investigation must precede the report which we have now the honour to make.

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