CITY TRAMWAYS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 486, 20 April 1909, Page 6

CITY TRAMWAYS.

MOTORMEN AND CONDUCTORS. . INCREASED WAGES ■' In tho draft annual balance-sheet sabmitted to tho last meeting of ; the ;City Council-there appeared;the item,. i!227B,'paid". to..- 'motormen and conductors,'j as being one- of the principal iinorcases in; wages during the • past- financial year. This moved one of ,the councillors to make an. inquiry, and the*, electrical engineer (Mr., Stuart Richardson), presented the following report to : yesterday .meeting-of the Tramways Committee:—., .'V' . ! "For the year ended.: Harch ; Sl, 1908,! the car mileage run was 2,071',292, the- wages paid to motormen,and:conductors;j£34,Blß, ,01; an average of 4.034 d. per car mile..' Last year, the car mileage was- 2, the' wages .of motormen arid conductors ',£37(096,: and the cost: 4.057 d. per car mile.' -The increased wages paid under 'the: new agreement .with the' union, taking effect from September last, amounted ; to t £278' ; for motormen. and conduotorß, as per/attaohed return/ This is, equivalent. to, .an' increase -in the cost: of "running of 0.030 d.' per car mile._ It wiir he' seen, therefore,, that had' there been" np increase in wages, the .cost per car mile would have dropped from 4.03 m. in 1908 • to I 4.007 d. in- 1909. The increase of -£2278 in 1 wages paid ; to motormen' and "conductors • is, olearly shown to have been expended in necessary traffic expansion." A v r The attached return is as followsfr-At'Maroh--31, -1909,' there ■ were 61: Conductors who were. -rated as second-class,'and. who. received Is. per r hour for ordinary time and' is. 6d. per" hour, for overtime. .. 'iTnese men prior to .September 23, 1908, . were' rate'd as second-class conductors, I but only received Hid. per hour ordinary, and i Is. sjd;- per hour . The increase in | wages owing to tho above amounted i- 13s.- 3d; There-were, also 26 - men in tho service who ranked' : as firstaslass motormen at ! March 31, 1909, but as. sec6rid»class' motormen 1 prior to September -23, 1908.' The increase,in 1 wages, owing "-to this, amounts to JSII6 15s. 6d. The total increase owing tO ( tho current Hindus-

trial agreement (motorfflcn . and , conductors 1 only) is ,£278-Bs. 9d. i. , ... The engineer also attached a return snowing working expenses, miles of-line, open'for. traf-. Flo; and average oars in daily . use. fop the years ending "March 31, 1907, 1908. and 15)09.- ■ ■■" ■. ,'-x. Average Average

. ■' ' cost Ox cost of ■ Average working, working, Working cars m per milo per car 1 ■" ' expenses daily use. of line in daily , Jrafflo ' Tear. . £ Cars. ' £, £ 11906 ! J. 53,866 36 2501 ' 1496 11907 .. 62,181 44 > 2484 f 1413 1908 ~',- 82,838 ' *56 ; 258b■; ' 147 a 1909 • ... ' 64 ' ' 2736 ' 1430, The miles of single line, open for traffic are given as follow :-r1906. 21.6. miles: ,1907, - .25 miles;■ 1908,-32 miles;'l9o9, ,33.5 miles. ■ .

FARMERS' UNIONS AND POLITICS.

.?,i * '. : T A . ■ ' \.vr ■" . "NO' ROOM FOR GOVERNMENT MEN."

'•(HI TELEGEAPH—SPECIAL COERMPONDENT.) ''>'■ ■ Felldlng, April 19. •At -tho annual meeting 'of tho Kimboltoii branch of the'.-Farmers', ■'Onion, ..tbe ' chairman for the past year, JJfr.-'.E." •H.'-.Crabb'e," stated that tie position "of the' union 'waß tery much ; modified by .the-. resolution -come to vto go>; into politics.'- He; himself;had''hoped that- thei union would have taken'Vup ,-an ■ impartial; attitude. '' Eight ythroughput ;tho weight: 't>f ; the ':-;nnion t election '■ had < been' thrown •' on' 7 the of- ••one. political' ;party,: -and :he \ .could only • come) to the: conclusion ' that it; was,_' to all intents- and. purposes,-' a 'party.'organisation.. v .That < being, ; so, he could only say a ;member .'of. the (Liberal party,!,he! felt-- that! .he!., was infalse'■ position,'; and therefore ■ begged to tender his resignation as .a menjber.: • ■■ 7- ' ' ;'.' Mr.. Fowler said• that. he regretted : 'that : the. chairman- had s felt it necessary to .take' this step. He admitted that the- union, in some of its -planks, was opposed to' the Liberal party's views, but. he could not seo what; had.occurred ito': justify!' the; chairman in it .wis : a. party;, organisation;. \Mr.."Morton- admitted that, tho union was' a largely- anti-Government .organisation, , tut : said-;,that it.. must,' of. .be -, so;.; -as long "as -the Liberal party -combined to ,sup: port measures;' inimical to fanners', interests!' He instancedjfreetrade; and ;th'e. freehold .as. measures "ivherjein/.the - union 1;.;. views. :'.were, strongly -anti-Government. . : . ; . • '•!•' ',! ' Eeplying, Mr.- Crabbe. .'wished the .union, every, success;'-;, He was soiTy to part from it, .having-befen' a'member since its' inception, but he.felt'thaft'the union, had;come to. the 1 parting; of ythe '• ways. •., There was no: longer any room iti it' for followers of the .present Government, afid they - were . better* out of!

,i r WEST'S PICTURES. ; ■■ Another complete change of programme Was presented at the Town Hall last evening 'by' West's Pictures,, and judging by: the applause : that greeted the new.series,', there falling off in the entbraiasm for. kinematbgraph pictures of the best class. The ''star"- .picture'of last evening's series ' was the; faithful representation of. graphic incidents in Charles Dickens's" gruesome story, "The Mystery of Edwin Drood." It showed Rosa Bud flirting with'hei' jealous, livers, Landless and Edwin* Drood, the quar- ; rel and reconciliation between the two galJants;- the evil passion for, Rosa of the opium-drugged Jaspar; the latter's murder :of r Drood, and his accusation of Landless, as the culprit, and finally, his arrest by/Datchery, the detective. The ■ picture. was acted with great fidelity, and no detail in dress , or mounting was lacking to recall Dickens's story to'-the.'memoiy.-. "Retribution": was another grim story, involving a double murder, caused by jealousy. One of the most interesting . industrial .pictures seen' in _ Wei-' lingtbn for,' some ; time is,, a . series depicting the process of production of the "Scotsman,' showing, as' it does, all the working of a newspaper office. Of travel pictures there 1 were three: "Jerusalem,"' "On Rabbical Island," and " PiWs on the Zambesi River." Other .'capital pictures of .. diverse .'interest were "Hato Between , the . Classes,."; "Ambulance. Dogs,"- "Scientist Adventures," "Henpeck's 'Adventure,"' ''Two •'College >Chums," and , "Let's Hurry Up, Please.'' Another programme jvill be made on Thursday' evening, j ' . . SEAMEN'S CONCERT. " : The usual fortnightly concert of seamen, .under. the auspices- of the Wellington Catholic: Seamen's Conference, .was Held'in* the .Sailors'-Rest'last night.. There was a large attendante.';"' An ; enjoyable was •: submitted, /■ to which the following ladies .arid-.'gentlemen > -contributed Mr.'• Smith, piano solo; ■ Mr. '-'A;, Hickmott, song"; Miss ! Mi" 'JL'aylor,j-'song;;' Mr. ';'Smith, recitation; Mr. Hudson,;vi6lin, v is6lo; Mies' Scanlon'and Miss> Wareham,' Highland reel ; Master P. Walsh'; song;■ Miss Murray, song; Miss P. Tregoiinirig; recitation;, Mr. P. Cooze, song; Mr.'Knowles, song; Mr. C. M'Erlean,'song; ■Mn; 'Edwards, s6ng; Mr. Moriarty, recitation;' Miss D.) Guise, Irish* jig; Mr. Pawson, .song; >-Mr. \M'William's;'recitation. .. Mrs. Cole .played'the accompaniments in an' efficient, style. Captain. Bonner returned thanks. » ■SUN WORSHIPPERS. , Tbo inaugural leeture of tho Kent Terrace Congregational League was delivered in' the schoolroom yesterday evening before a fairly large audience. The lecturer was the' Rev. David, Meadowcroft, late of East Melbourne, who took, as his. subject, ''Egyptology, and the 'Sun Dark Worshippers,'.' in, which he dealt in an interesting • style > tnth ancient, Egypt before and, since .the pyramidal period; and the origin, characteristics, and lessons to ( belearned from the Sun Worshippers. At the /conclusion of the lecture ' a collection •was:taken up in aid of the league funds. ,

' ; ; MADAME MELBA. ■„'-' The half-guinea - reserved seats for the Melba: concerts here' next week are now being reserved on, the plan at tho Dresden. In the : South Island' Melba: has been singing to "and enthusiastic v The* >"Otago ' Daily Times," in, an enthusiastic of tlx© : ' first, concert, says that the' "mid- -Bpem'-'y from "Lucia" was Mejba's •greatest triumph, and a superb vocal achievement. 0 Its rendering presented, an,excursion ,in(x)''''the' long'reaches r of 'the peaks of ■song," /which was to a degree memorable Vrid/stiritulating. ' Only ; a Melba could have d'orie such justico to the wonderful climax, :the purity and sparkle of the.trills in a marvellously: sustained burst of song , holding the audienco spellbound. The effect of the nuinibpr,was enhanced by the flute obbligato sup-, '■lied by Mr. Lemmone,. and'the blending of .voice .and .instrument in duet was uncommonly • fine, albeit the honours ; to its infinite : ;credit.:did',rest with the,'former.; As an, Encore Madame Melba sang 'Arditi's famous Iwaltz song '.'Se Saranißose." ;It that Melba sings better than any. vocalist in ihe .world, and her, spontaneous and vivacious .treatment.-of it aroused the Dunedii* aucnjences to 'a: pitch . of unwonted enthusiasm. .The;second; concert on Saturday. evening was 'even,more' successful.- • - . ; "THE DAIRYMAIDS." 1 : ;This immensely popular musical play is announced as the second iproduction of Sir. J. ,C. 'Williamson's . Royal Comic Opera Companyls season, and will be-staged for the first time in New Zoaland on Saturday next, April 24. One of the many fascinating features of this amusing play is the Girl's Gymnasium; Scene, where the Sandow Girls are iu-.chartaing' evidenoot-' - (