TRAMWAY RISKS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 834, 4 June 1910, Page 4

TRAMWAY RISKS.

The report of the Commission appointed to inquire into, tho suitability and efficiency of the brakes employed on the Auckland tramways system has incidentally touched on the equipment of other systems. So far as Wellington is concerned the Commissioners pay a compliment to tho high standard of upkeep and the efficiency maintained in the equipment of our tramways, but appear to throw some doubt on the brake equipment under certain specified •conditions. The Commission, in considering this question, apparently have recognised that, properly applied, the brakes on the Wellington cars arc quite adequate, but an element of risk lies in the possibility of a motoi'inan losing his head in case of emergency. The personal equation must necessarily come in where brakes applied by hand are used and it is difficult in consequence to estimate what the actual risk may really amount to. Apparently it is very slight indeed in the caso of Wellington trams. At the same time it is very satisfactory to note that tho electrical engineer has forestalled the Commission in casting around for a means to reduce that risk still further. Mr. RichardSon, it appears, had already ordered, for experimental purposes, the skid-proof attachments recommended by the Commissioners, and should these do all that is claimed for them the point raised as to the existing brake equipment on Wellington cars would, apparently, bo satisfactorily met. No doubt tho question will engage the attention of the City Council when the full report of. the Commission is made known. It is worth noting that the Government is making inquiries from the different municipalities owning tramway services in order to secure certain statistical information concerning them. Not unnaturally, this appenrs to-=havc caused concern to some of the local bodies affected. They see in it, no doubt, evidence of a further attempt on the part of the St.ite to rob the municipalities i<l th<: control of thou trauiivaya. It

is well that the local bodies should bo on the alert in this matter to safeguard the interests of the citizens in their respective boroughs. Wo fee! confident that should the. Government renew the attempt to grasp this control •it will be resisted in the same strenuous fashion that defeated their designs on previous occasions. It would not surprise us to and the recommendations of the Commission in the matter of Government inspection of tramways used as the lever with which to endeavour to gain their ends.