TRAMWAY DANGERS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1889, 18 October 1913, Page 6

TRAMWAY DANGERS.

THE SIDE-STEP. GOVERNMENT BILL INTRODUCED. The Hon. W. FRASER aaked leave to introduce the. Tramways Act Amendment Bill, 1913, in accordance with the promise'he had given tho House on Wednesday last. The Bill, whioh is very brief, provides that: "(1) On and after March 1,1914, it shall not be lawful for tlio promoters of any tramway to use thereon any car for the carriage of passengers unless it is provided with a centra] passage-way from end to end of theca,r; (2) for every car used in breach of this section the promoters shall bo liable to a fine of £50 for every day on whicU the car is so used. "This Act shall not apply to any tramway constructed under the authority of the Taupo Tramway Order No. 1, made on January 29, 1908, under the Tramways Act, 1894, or of tho Taupo Tramway Order No. 2, made on October 13, 1913, under the Tramways Act, 1908,' nor to any cable'tramway." A Wellington Protest. "I may state," tho Minister, remarked, "that to-day I received a letter from the Mayor of Wellington com-, plaining of the fact that he and his council wero denied' the opportunity of being heard' before the members of this House and a.committee to explain what they had to say in the matter. I think it only right that I should 1 mention the matter to the Houso, but I expross no opinion upon it. Tne letter I received asked ine to make this statement, and I now make it."

Mr. G. V. Pearce (Patea) asked if the Foxton tramlino was exempted. 1 Mr. Fraser: It was immaterial whether I put it in or not. The carriages have a seat on each aide, and a central passage. Mr. T. H. • DAVEY (Christchurch East) thanked the Minister for bringing Ibis Bill down so promptly. •. With regard to the communication from the Mayor of' Wellington, he took it that not only tho Mayor, but the councillors and others would be heard through the members in the House. No member wanted to be unfair to tho proprietors of tho tramways. Their Bole object was to try to conserve tho interests and lives_ of the men concerned, as well as the interests of tho public. He would be only too glad to do what he could .to assist the local authorities in carrying out the clauses of tho Bill. Mr. A. H. .Hindmarsh (Wellington South) asked whether tho Minister proposed to refer tho Bill to a committee wlfero evidence could be taken. Mr. Eraser: What is the good of :asking .that now? The House would ■not hear of it the other day. Counsels of Moderation. The Hon. A. L. HERDMAN (Wellington North) said that tho House ought to be quite that it was not going to do an injustice to a corporation. He certainly thought an opportunity Bhould bo given tho one local authority specially affected to explain its and its opinion of tho Bill. This was not the proper time, but possibly after tlio second reading stage an opportunity would bo given of saying whether tho Bill Bhould be referred to a committee, as it was of very great importance indeed. Everybody recognised that precautions should bo taken by local authorities controlling tramways to prevent the loss of life, but the period fixed in tho Bill required ono particular local body to undertake work which meant tho revolutionising of its rolling-stock. Whether it was possible for tho corporation to do this within tho time he did not know, but'if it was net possible to do it then, he thought the council should bo givon tho chance of expressing its opinion. Ho was confident that the good sense of honourable members would allow them to recognise tho possibility of an injustice being done to tho local body by a limited time being fixed, especially if it had no opportunity of letting tlio House know of the exact conditions uuder which it was working. Ho hoped that at the proper time the House would refer the Bill to a committee.

Delay Opposed. Mr. .G. WITTY (Riccarton) pointed oat that tho Bill aff&otwl not onli Vfeh-

lir.gton, but Auckland, Christchurch, and Dunedin as well. If tlio Government started taking evidence then the Hill would bo delayed for five or six weeks. - .

Mr. L. M. ISITT (Christcliurch North) urged that it was not difficult for tlio tramway authorities to put their vieivs before,tlio House in tlio form of a circular. They could only refer to the cost of converting tlio cars, and the time that it would take to do it. There was 110 need for discussion upon tlio facts. 110 felt they had no right to act arbitrarily, but he could 1 not get away from the fact that very largely the wholo position was due to the attitude taken up by the Wellington City Council ever since the initiation of the movement. Tlioy had made the most absurd and the most exaggerated statements and had fought the reformers instead of meeting them in a reasonable spirit. Literally, tlio House had' been forced into taking up this position by the unwillingness of tlio tramway people to meet thorn in a right spirit, and with a due regard for the safety of the men., It would be a deplorable thing if any agreement) was mado by the House to refer tho Bill to a committee. Lone discussions and l delay would follow, and perhaps a few moro fatal accidents. Tho Counoll Accused. The Hon. P. M. B. FISHER (Wellington Central) hoped that Wellington City Council would diverge from its practice in the past, and keep the members for Wellington City informed of the wishes of the council and of the facts in connection with the'case. In connection with the Hutt Road Improvement Bill, tho Wellington City Council neglected the Wellington members altogether, and communicated its viewß to the House through the member for W f aimate, although nobody knew what he had to do with Wellington. He trusted that in this caso the council would deal with the members for Wellington. Mr. Herdman: They have done so. Mr. Fisher: I am sorry to hear that. I ha.ve not had any communication yet as to the details of what is required to bo done, or as to tho caso of the council. I would suggest that the members for Wellington should be supplied with this information. Ho could not deny that, the Wellington City Council had taken up a misleading from tho beginning in connection with this matter. The present Bill was tho outcome of misrepresentations on the part of the Wellington City Council, and the whole responsibility would have to fall not only upon tlio present council, but upon the council of the past. If it had taken up a reasonable attitude, this Bill would never have boen necessary. Ho hoped, finally, that the present Mayor and council would keop tho Wellington members fullyjnformod, and would advise them as to its needs and requirements. Sir Joseph Ward protested that Mr. Fisher should not have blamed the Wellington Corporation. Mr. Fisher: If it hadn't been for you, wo would not have had this Bill at all. . When Sir Joseph Ward _ sat down, Mr. Fisher remarked: "I said the honourable gentleman was responsible for the present position, and he has not denied it." - Make Haste Slowly. Dr. A. K. NEWMAN (Wellington East) said that the previous day tho House had in a great hurry decided that it,would not havo an inquiry by a special qommittee. Now ho believed tlio House was of opinion that the question should havo been referred to a committee. Mr. Payno: No. No delay. Dr. Newman: Delay is one thing, and common-sense is another. He added that tho majority of members, while tliey wero agreed that the cars must be converted, were prepared to give the corporation a reasonable hearing. He would vote to have the cars converted speedily, but he would listen to reason. A committee should have been sot tip. if tho corporation had shown that March 1 was too early a date, more time might be allowed. He believed that tho corporation had boen too slow in converting tho cars, but ho still thought the corporation should be heard. Mr. T. W. RHODES said he thought all were agreed that "tho interested parties had a right to be heard. Ho road a letter which the Hon. A. L. Herdman had received from the Mayor of Wellington. Following was tho text of the letter: —

: "Dear Sir, —The council Btrongly protests against-Parliamentary legislation for the alteration of tho whole of our cars, to be completed before March 1, 1914. It is impossible to give effect to it, and it is absolutely necossary that evidence should be tendered in support of tho council's contention, that the traffic will bo disorganised, the pub- ' lie inconvenienced, and the proposed method adopted by the Government is a violation of the rights of local government. The conductor who met with an accident last Saturday did not fall off the side-step of tho car.—Yours faithfully, (Sgd.) John . P. Luke, Mayor of Wellington." This letter seemed to show that thero was matter that should be inquired into. No Further Notloe. Mr. G. J. ANDERSON thought the Wellington' Gity Coiinoil were to blame'for not having converted the oars long ago. When the Act was passed a proviso was inserted in tho Davey clause under preßßure from tho Wellington City Council .whioh had mado the clauso inoperative. Tho result of this had been that <?ertain graves in the cemetery had been filled. In view of the long notice-the Wellington City Council had had tie House should put the Bill through at once. There was no need for delay such as would be caused by setting up a committee. The Wellington City Council should bo given to understand at once that they must mako their trama safo for their men. Mr. J. PAYNE supported th© proposal that the Bill should be put through at onco. Mr. A. HARRIS asked why the Minister was not proposing in his Bill that a certain number of • cars should be converted overy month. The Wisest Course. The Horn, W. FRASER, in reply to tho member for AVaitemata, said that he had at first thought it would bo possiblo to require that a certain number of cars should be converted evory month, but on consideration ho had decided that it would be impossible to insist upon such a provision. It would not be possible for the council to convert as many cars in the first month as in tho second or the third month. A great deal of what had been said in the discussion convinced him/ that tlie proposal he' had made tho previous day —to refer tho matter to a committee —had been the wisest ono possible. Tlio Bill was introduced and read a first time.