THE GOVERNMENTAL TRAMS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1188, 25 July 1911, Page 6

THE GOVERNMENTAL TRAMS.

a • THOSE REGULATIONS CONFERENCE OF LOC4L BODIES AMENDED BY EXPERTS. All tho Dominion local bodies owning or controlling tramways worn represented at ' the conference which opened in tho Council Chamber at tho Town Hall yesterday /to consider, tho draft tramway regulations lately issued by the Government, and discuss their provisions. Mr. J. ■ Smith (Acting-Mayor of Wellington) presided. Amongst tho delegates present were: Messrs. J. Smith, G. Frost, J. E. Fitzgerald, R. Fletcher, G. Shirtcliffe, A. .11. Hindroarsh, and D. M'Lareu (Wellington); J. S. Dickson and IT. W. Wilson (Auckland), G. T. Booth (chairman), and A. W. Heaven and F. Thompson (general manager) (Christchurch Tramway Board); C. E. Kcast, J.- J. Marlow, and — Alexander (Dunedin); .1. A.- Nash (l'almerstou : North); C. W. Poyntcr, C. E. Mackay, F. P. Talboys (Wauganui), C. Cathie, ,f. A, Frbst and A. Hamilton (Karon), F. W. Jones (Gonvillc-Castleclitf); ,T. Brodie, N. W. Bell, and S. M. Stono (Miramar); Jb. Crawley and - Black (Napier); SSyrnington and A. Beam (Invercargill); ii. M. Simpson, I-. H. B. Wilson and - . 'Darling (Kelburno Tramway Company); und i. H. F. Hamel (Roslyn). Address by the Chairman. The chairman, in opening the proceedings, said tho conference had been called in order, that the tramway authorities might protest as far as they possibly could against the sanction of the Government in' their interference with local Government. There was nothing political in tho matter. What they had-to do was to consider the tramway regulations proposed by tho Government, and the interference involved with the tramways of tho Dominion. ■ If- they sat down .quietly, with such a set of regulations as theso in . regard to tramways, tho country might expect that other regulations would bo issued by the Government, involving further interference with local 'overnment. They had been frequently told, through the 'Governor's Speech and in other ways, that the Government was always willing to extend tho scope of local government. . No doubt it was-if there was any money jn it for the Government. The thing they, wanted to be sure of was that; when ratepayers voted a large sum of money the Government should not interfere in such a manner as to make it impossible to «>arn interest on the outlay. Enforcement of the regulations meaut, in Wellington, that the council would have to expend a Tory largo sum and nearly double its plant, in order to carry the' same number of passengers as at present.' Concluding, Mr. Smith read a statement in reference to the proposed regulations, To reasonably cope with the present traffic it would bo necessary under the proposed regulations to run about forty more ■ cars at the busy bours of tho day. This ■will mean with extra car-shed accommodation and power-house plant, an extra outlay of nearly .£75,000, with an apnual capital charge of. about 4:7500. _ Tho average cost of operation per car is now. '.£llOO per annum, so it would bo fair to .compute the extra cost to tho city under 'the proposed regulations at something v over' ,£40,000 per, annum.. To meet this extra expenditure it seems that as the present earning power would not bo increased, it .would bo necessary to increase tho fares by about ,10 per cent. Taking the question of risk into consideration under the conditions hitherto prevailing with regard to the tramway traffic in Wellington, the very small percentage of accidents that have occurred, considering that over 22 million passengers are carried annually, shows that tho service has been 'vary safely run, and that the cars, and.equipment bayo beeii kopt up to state of efficiency. .' Question of Publicity. Councillor •C. Keast (Dunedin) moved that the business bo taken in committee. -Seconding tho motion, Mr. ,T. H. F. Hamsl (Roslyn) said ho thought it a very wise one, in view of tho fact that the cov- , earing letter sent, with tho regulations, to tho companies and boroughs, asked that they should be -treated as confidential. ■■ Mr. G. T. Booth (chairman of the Christehiirch Tramway Board) supported the '.'motion. Whatever tho position ;night be in other cases, the Christcbnrcli delegation could not take part in any public diseussion of the regulations or ■proposed regulations. He did not think that any part of the business should bo jnado, public. If the results of the conference wero to bo mado public, the speaker and his co-delegates would still .be unable to fake part. The chairman (Mr. J. Smith) explained :that on receiving tbo regulations and covering letter, the Wellington Tramway Committee wrote to- the Minister, asking jiim to remove the "confidential" restric'tion. For a considerable time no reply '■was received. The press and public being "very anxions to know what these regulations were, tho speaker bad taken it ;.npon himself, as Acting-Mayor, to mako -f.hcm public. In liis opinion there had •been no necessity to make tho regulations confidential or keep them so. Councillor Fletcher (Wellington) could ■not sec what good c*uld result .from tnk- ■ ing this meeting in committee. There 'was nothing to conceal. The press wero /'fully conversant with the whole position. Councillor J.-J. marlow (Dnnedin) said 'the regulations had been sent out, not as •regulations that the Government intended ■to gazette, but as suggested regulations. .'Tho Government had invited Criticisms .'-from the authorities - concerned. The Speaker took it that tbey bad met that -day' to frame a clear and conciso answer 'to"theso regulations. "Absolutely Non-Political." Tho chairman (Mr. Smith) bad said that •■the meeting was absolutely non-political. How could this bo if they began by publicly' abusing the Government on this matter?' The speaker took it that they liad met thero with a view to getting these regulations burnt, if possible, or in any event modified on sa.no lines, btvt Tie contended emphatically that they should take the lino of least resistance, and go about the matter as business Councillor Dickson (Auckland) supported the southern delegates. Mr. C. Cathie (Mayor of Karori) said that so much in connection with theso •regulations had been made public already that it seemed a waste of time to deal with the matter in committee. The public were wanting to see wbat tho tramway authorities would do. He hoped that this would be recognised by tho gentlemen from the south. The copy of the regulations ■ sent out, Mr. Cathie pointed out,. was all ready to bo put in tho Gazette. Tho regulations had every appearance of "coming in" whether the people interested liked it or not. The tiring to do was to mako Ministers feel that, whether this meeting ■was political or not, they were not going to have an easy timo if theso regulations wore insisted upon. Councillor Frost (Wellington) said that after hearing the remarks passed by representatives of other local bodies he considered it would probably bo the dnty of tho Wellington delegation to meet tho wishes of their visitors and discuss this matter in committee. "A Deplorable Thing." CovmcilloT Fitzgerald (Wellington) did not consider that the Wellington city councillors were sinners at all in this matter. Tbey had been quite justified in making it public. Tho citizens of Wellington had sunk half a million of money in their tramways and it would bo a deplorable- thing if tho Minister for Public Works, or any other Minister, could como along and impose such restrictions as were embodied in tho regulations. This agitation had been raised above the plane of party politics. Ono of tho most condemning motions ever moved against any Government had boon moved by a strong Government, supporter in tho Wellington City Council. Councillor Fitzgerald mentioned that ho was himself a Government supporter. Councillor Hindmarsh said this committee work gavo no chanco at all to minorities. A, resolution might bo, car-

ried by a majority of ono rote. It would tlion go forth «.s the resolution of tho committee, though it did not in fact represent tho feeliug of the committee at: all. "Wo always have this question of ''business' before us," eoneliideil Councillor Hindmarsh. "I wonder that business men have not'shown a little more knowledge of public matters upon this occasion."

Mr. Jones (Gonville Tramway Board! considered that as the regulations had been sent out marked "confidential" those receiving them were under somo obligation to recogniso the stipulation. Councillor Kcast (Dunedin) asked tho chairman to rule upon tho question of votiug power. The speaker considered that as a' number of tramway undertakings were represented, each party of delegates should exercise one vote. The chairman ruled that each delegate should exercise an individual vote. "When the couferenco divided upon the motion to go into committee no formal count of tho votes took place, but about 50 delegates raised their hands as favouring the motion and about seven voted against it. EXPERTS AT WORK. CONFERENCE AMENDS REGULATIONS. DRASTIC PRUNING. The Tramway Conference, after a brief committco sitting yesterday forenoon, set up a committee of" expert's (engineers and managers) to consider and amend tho regulations as drafted by the Government. Tho experts dealt with tho regulations up to Number 22 (there are 31 in all) and their revised version, presented at about 9.30 p.m. was approved by the conference after a sitting that lasted until half past eleven. To-day as many. members of the conference as can attend will wait, as a deputation, upon the Minister for Public Werics (the Hon. R. M'Kenzio) and ask him to accept tho regulations as amended by its expovts. following is a summary of tho report (in the sluipo of amended regulations) presented by the experts to the conference:— As in the case of the Government draft regulations, tho first regulation is ono of interpretation. Regulations 2, 3, and ■i are identical with tho Government draft. Regulations five to eleven (leal with tho issuing of licenses for carriages and tho posting up of theso licenses. Regulation 12, Sub-Clauso4, empowering the Minister' to cancel a licenso under stated conditions stands unaltered in the amended draft, but Sub-Clause 2 in the Government draft is deleted. It reads: (2.) If at any time a carriage which is licensed meets with serious injury by fire or other accident so as to make it'.unsafo for public traffic, the licenso shall thereupon bo deemed to bo suspended until such time as tho inspector certifies that.the carriago is again safe and fit for publio. traffic. Sub-C'lauso 3 of tho same regulation is unaltered. Passengers. Only tho preamble stands unchanged in ; Regulation 13, which sets out the conditions under which the tramway authorities aTO'.entitled to carry passengers. Sub-Claustt 1 (a), which in the Government draft provides that a number of passengers may bo carried, for. which, in the opinion of the inspector, reasonable seating accommodation is provided has ibeen amended by the conference experts by tho deletion of the reference to tho inspector. Sub-Clause 1 (b), of Clause 18, in the Government draft' regulations makes provision for the carriage of passengers for .whom,, in tho opinion of the inspector, and subject to Regulations 1G and 18, there is sufficient standing accommodation, not exceeding- 75 per cent' of tho passengers for 'whom seating accommodation is provided. For this the couferenco has substituted:— "(b) An • additional number for which and subject to the provisions of Clause .18 of theso regulations as amended, there is -sufficient standing accommodation not exceeding 75 per centum of the number of passengers for whom seats aro provided." Sub-Clause 2 (c) and 2 (d) and SubClause 3 of Regulation 13 in the Government draft have been deleted by the conference on the advieo"of""its experts. Theso provisions read :— (2) No such license shall authorise:(c) The carriago of passengers on the top' or upper deck of any carriago other .than passengers for whom seating accommodation is provided, nor the carriage of passengers on any step, stair, or platform of any carriage: (d) Tho carriage on any cablo tramway of any passenger for whom seating accommodation is not provided. (3) In no caso shall authority bo given under a license for the carriage of a greater number of passengers than hereinbefore' provided, nor shall authority bo given in any case for tho carriage of standing passengers unless they_ can be so carried without unduly inconveniencing other passengers or without impeding the driver or conductor in tho carrying out of their duties respectively.

Tho Public Works Department in Regulation 11, provided that sixteen inches of seating space shall be allotted to each passenger. This the conference has 'amended by allotting It inches to each passenger. Regulation la, which sets forth the conditions under which passengers shall enter and leave cars stands unaltered. It provides that children up to twelvo Years of age shall travel at half-fare. In 'Wellington at present children not more than 11 years.old travel at half-fare. Overcrowding, Clause 15, Sub-clause 2, of the original regulations, runs:— (2) The manager and promoters shall take such steps as may be necessary to prevent the carriage of passengers on any carriaga beyond the number which it is licensed to carry, and for that purpose they shall at termini or other places where large numbers of passengers congregate station a responsible olficer to keep order and to arTango as far as possible that passengers desiring to rido. in any carriage ohall be accommodated' in the order of priority in which, they have arrived at such terminus or place.

Tho conference recommends the retention only of tho lirst. portion of the clause, tho full text being left as follows:—

"The managers and promoters shall take such steps as may be necessary to prevent tho carriage of passengers on any carriage beyond the number which it is licensed to carry."

Sub-clause 3 (the right of tramway employees 'and constables to ride on any portion of- the cars) is retained. Clauses If! and 17 are deleted. They are as follow:—

16. In determining the proper number of passengers (if any) who may be allowed to stand in any carriage, tho inspector shall, subject.to the foregoing provisions, observc-the following rules:—

(a) Where the scats are longitudinal, or where they aro arranged across tho carriage, and there is a clear space for the ingress and egress of passengers through tho length of tho carriage, the. number of passengers allowed- to stand shall not exceed tho number that can comfortably, be accommodated ma single lino all facing ono' way ■ along such clear spneo between the adjacent scats.

(b) In the case of carriages or portions, of '• carriages whero ■ seats aro arranged across ' tho carriages, and whero tho backs of such scats arc not reversible, and where' such seats form compartments and there is no longitudinal corridor in the carriage, tho number of passengers allowed to stand shall not exceed half tho number of passengers for whoni seats are provided in such compartment. J7. A hanging strap of suitable pattern'and within reasonable reach shall be. provided for each standing passenger. Travelling on Grades. Clause 18 is considerably amended. In tho original regulations this clause makes provision for the Minister in eases where the grade is steeper than I in 11, or where in bis opinion tho brake-power is insufficient to refuse to gra,nt a licenso for tho carriage of any standing passengers, or be may reduce the. number for which a license is granted to such number as ho thinks fit. . The amendment is to the effect that the Minister may do the foregoing where too grade is steeper than 1 in 7, but cable tramways are excluded. Clause 1!) is deleted. Ims clause ninkts pTOYisjon for a statement of tho auniber

of passengers which the car is liccui-ed lo carry to be placed in a prominent position on tho outer side of tho dashboard of even- carriage at each end. It must, lio shown clearly also how many per.-ons can be seated, and how many (it any) mnv stand. If uo passengers may stand, thu'l; fact must also be clearly slated in tho notice. If the car is a double-decker, the following words must be added: "No passengers allowed to stand on top. Notices of a. similar nature, must also bo placed inside tho cars. That Movable Step. Somn slight amendments have been mado in regard to the clauses dealing with, carriages, appliances, and furnishings. Clauses 20 and 21, which are unimportant, are left, intact, but Clause 22 (b), which provide?, infer alia: "And if the step of any carriage is not placed within fourteen inches of the ground, tho .promoters shall provide and maintain on the carriage a movable step, which the conductor shall, on request by any passenger, use in assisting that passenger to enter or alight, has been amended to read as follows:— "Shall have steps filled in such a, position that passengers can safely enter or alight from the carriage." Snb-Clauso (c) is deleted. This makes provision for a compartment to be reserved at each end of the carriages for tho solo uso of the inotormen and conductors.

Sub-Clause (d), dealing witli strong gates, doors, or bars for every car entrance, is amended to read:—

"Such carriage shall bave efficient barriers provided for every entrance, to be closed on the side it is not desired that the passengers should

board or alight." Sub-Clause (g) is amended to provide that the uso of seats for inotormen is to be limited to such portions of the routes as nmv be decided bv the manager. Sub-Clause (i), dealiug with bells and gongs for the use of passengers, is amended lo read:—"Each car shall have suitable means of communication between the conductor and motorman."

Sub-Clause- (i) stipulating that four sandboxes shall be provided on every car is altered to the effect that each car shall be provided with efficient sand anpliances (having regard to English and American practice). Sub-Clauses (k), (1), and (m) are deleted. These clauses deal with the arrangement of brake handles, the placing of weights on trolly ropes, and the length and number of trolly poles. Lights and Indicators. Sub-Clause (n), Regulation, 22, which refers to head and tail lights', is slightly altered. Sub-Clause (o), in tho Government draff, is deleted. It provides that a car must carrv, after sunset, at each end, an oil, acetylene, or other lamp, properly lighted. Sub-Clauses (p), (n), and (r) of Regulation 18 are only amended in, respect of minor details. Sub-Clause (s), which is of a technical nature, is deleted. SubClause- (t) also technical, is deleted, in part. Sub-Clauso (u), which provides in. tho Government draft that cars shall have power and reversing shafts interlocked, so that it is not possible to reverse the motors while tho power is on, etc., is deleted. Sub-Section (w), which provides that no double-deck carriage shall have a roof or covering on the upper deck, stands unaltered, but the following sub-clauses aro deleted in toto: — (v.) Shall havo all the steps thereon rendered safe by fixing thereto suitable indiarubber or strips of roughened iron to prevent passengers from slipping thereon: (x.) Shall be fitted with approved route and destination indicators at each end and on each side; end indicators shall bo placed on the top of the canopy, and side indicators on the eaves on top. At night the route and destination indicators shall bo illuminated, and the routes indicated by coloured lights: (y.) Shall have all other necessary appliances and furnishings used on tramways generally, although not specially mentioned herein. Important clauses in the regulations dealing with limits of speed and the car report-book remain to be considered. The sub-committee of exports has been given a freehand to deal with these and the remaining clauses not yet traversed, and its report will be conveyed, direct to tho Minister for Public Works, this morning, without refcrened to tho conference.

THE INDIGNATION MEETING. A CHANGE OF PLANS. The indignation meeting held at the Town Hall in the evening did not come up to the expectations of its conveners. For this the extremely inclement weather that obtained throughout the day and evening was responsible. At about five o'clock, as the weather showed no signs of moderating, it was determined to hold the meeting in the Concert Chamber instead of in the largo hall, as had been originally planned. At eight o'clock something over two hundred bold spirits, for -whom tho weather had no terrors, had assembled in the Concert Chamber. A little later the Acting-Mayor (Mr. J. Smith), and a number of City' Councillors, together with the .Mayor of Mirainar (Mr. J. ftrodie), the Mayor of Karon (Mr. C. Cathie), and Messrs. R. A. Wright, M.l> F. M. B. Fisher, M.P., and J. I>. Luke, 51.P., mounted tho platform. Mr. J, Smith, who presided, stated that it had Been decided not to go on with the meeting that night. A committeo of experts, appointed at tho meeting that morning, had not yet furnished the General Committee ■with their report. Consequently the conveners of tho meeting wero not .in a position to discuss tho matter, as they would have been had tho experts' report been in hand. Continuing, Mr. Smith said-he was sorry that, owing to tho weather, thov had not a larger attendance. On all grounds it had been thought wiser to postpone this meeting. Tho report of the experts could bo received and considered. A deputation could then wait on tho Minister, and it was hoped that in this way they would get something reasonable from him in answer to their request. Mr. Smith jocularly declared himself sorry that they could not blame the Government for tho weather. They felt (hat the weather had had a verv detrimental effect on the attendanco that night. "Givo us a song," suggested a voice, as the Acting-Mayor turned to leave the platform, and the meeting manifested its good humour by a hearty outbreak of laughter and applause. . "It was intended that tho meeting should bo held in the large hall," Mr. Smith replied. "If it had been we could have bad tho services of the organ at all events. I am afraid I could not sing a song if I tried." The chairman added that tho conference would proceed with its business that evening. "Can't wo get our jnoney back, asked another inquiring spirit. Mr. Smith contented himself with the remark that a deputation would bo waitin" on tho Minister on the following day. No doubt any of those present who cared to accompany the deputation would be welcome to do so. The meeting then quietly dissolved. Something like thirty citizens arrived after tho meeting had closed, and many of them expressed keen disappointment on discovering that they had braved the elements in vain.