The Dominion. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13, 1911. A FOOLISH AMENDMENT.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1258, 13 October 1911, Page 4

The Dominion. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13, 1911. A FOOLISH AMENDMENT.

It seldom happens nowadays that a chance is lost by the Government or their supporters to strike a blow at the city of Wellington. Me. Laurenson.strives to have the seat of Government removed from WellingMe. Vigor Brown and a coterie of Government members endeavour to prevent tho city taking the necessary steps to, secure funds to improve and extend its recreation grounds; and. Mr.- Davey, a Christchurch member, introduces a clause into the Tramways Act which, if it becomes law, means a needless and crippling expenditure on the Wellington tramways, amounting, it is estimated, to no less a sum than £61,000. It is doubtful if- Mr. Davey realised what his proposal really meant; but this is typical of the attitude of a section of members of Parliament nowadays. In their anxiety to pose as public benefactors, inspired by what they would term high humanitarian motives, they rush forward with propositions, the effects of which they have never troubled,to consider, and the necessity for which exists mainly in their own unduly active imaginations. "Where it is a case of the dollar versus the man, he would go for the man every time," the view expressed on this matter by the Rev. L. M. Ism, is typical of the kind of claptrap these fussy busybodies and poseurs indulge in. They are content to fire off this sort of stuff and strike attitudes for the edification of simple folk who take their lip service as being something more than empty words. But why do they not trouble to inquire whother it is a question of dollars v. men before they start their high-sounding platitudes? Why do they not first put themselves to a little trouble to, find out the real facts of the position? Because no doubt it is easier to give utterance to a. few of these stereotyped phrases which sound so well and which mean so little; and which, nevertheless, often do incalculable harm/by obscuring tho, real merits of a question and prejudicing its chances of impartial consideration. The clause added to the Tramways Amendment Bill on the motion of Mr. Davey was as follows: — "(1) All tramcars shall be .so constructed as to provide a- passageway from one cud of tho car to the other. (2) At least 10 per contuni of tho existing cars (including cars constructed pursuant to a contract enteral prior to the passin'" of this Act) which are not in compliance with this provision shall bo converted annually, s> as to bring them in compliance therewith." This clause means the abolition of the class of car most suited to the traffic of Wellington, and most popular with the bulk of the public. The palace car has its drawbacks, particularly in tho winter months, but its advantages are manifest in a system such as Wellington possesses, whore, the Range is so narrow and rapidity of filling, and emptying cars is of so much importance. The Government insists on- this narrow gauge owing to the narrowness of many of the streets through which

the tramways run. Yet the whole of the business of the Wellington tramways is to be disorganised; the ratepayers put to a heavy additional cost; ihc public who use the tramways inconvenienced, at the whim of a Christchurch member who rushes in to cause this upheaval apparently without consulting anyone who knows anything about the subject. It is possible he has been guided in the matter by the Minister for Public Works, the autocratic gentleman who endeavoured to thrust the tramway regulations down the throats of the municipalities; but it must be obvious that Mn. Davey, if he made any inquiries at all, could only have done so from persons knowing as little about the effects of his proposal as he himself knows. Wellington, of course, would be the chief sufferer if the Davey clause is given effect to, and according to the estimates of the Electrical Engineer it means not merely an additional and needless expenditure of over £60,000 on the city tramways, but it is going to mako the service more 'expensive to work, and will necessitate the raising of fares. All of which is very pleasant for the ratepayers and residents of the city of Wellington to contemplate. Also, this extra burden on the tramways must be very cheering for the tramway employees, whoso prospects of securing increased will no doubt be duly affected by the additional drain the Davey clause places on working expenses. Altogether a pretty mess has been created, and the simplest means of clearing it away is to recommit the Bill and strike out the objectionable clause forthwith.