A TRAMWAY DEATH-TRAP.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1881, 15 October 1913, Page 7

A TRAMWAY DEATH-TRAP.

THE SIDE-STEP AGAIN. The proposal to abolish the dangerous' , side-step 011 tramway carriages was again mentioned in the House of Representatives yesterday by Mr. T. 11. Davoy, M.l\, who said that lio was sorry to bring the question up again, but felt bound to do so in view of tha fact that another accjdent had recontly. occurred in Wellington as a result of , tho use of tho side-step. Ho wished to again ask tho Minister for l'ublio' Works whether lio could seo his waj; to issue instructions that nono of the sidestep cars should bo used until they had been altered. On a previous occasion, when he had'put the question. tho Minister had replied that he could not seo his way to do it. Ho nevertheless felt bound ■to bring tho matter up again because it distressed him acutely that the tramway men should still have to run.this risk. The Hon. ,W. Eraser said that the fact that another accident had occurred in Wellington had not been reported to him. He regretted oxceedihgly to hear that it should have occurred. "I sup-i poso," he ctiutiuuod,' "that tlio honourable gentleman does not suggest that I should forthwith issue an instruction that no more of these cars are to- be used?"

Members: We ought to. The Minister indicated that he was not prepared to take this drastic stop. He said that he would make inquiries that afternoon, aifd see what could be done. There was no doubt 111 his ninia —ho had said previously that lie considered that tlieso outside footboards wero little short of' death-traps m a town, like Wellington, of narrow streets. Ho had hoped that more caro would bo taken, and that tho men would run no further risk of .theiivlives. lie would take immediate steps to have the matter looked into, and would tell tho House on the morrow what ho intended to do. ■