SPREADING THE TRAFFIC

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 267, 31 July 1918, Page 5

SPREADING THE TRAFFIC

PROPOSAL BEING CONSIDERED. ■ Tramway Manager's idea of spreading rho traffic at rush hours in«order to ea-so the demands on the city rolling stock by closing «omo of tlio Government offices at J. 30 p.m., instead of 5 ]>.m., has been submitted to tho Acting Prime Minister (Hon. Sir James Allen) by tho Mayor (Mr.-.J. p. Luko), nnd the iuar,ter has since been submitted to Cabanefc. As Iho result the Public Sorvico Commissioner (Mr. Donald Eobertson) is in communication with so me of the heads of Departments to see if something canaiotbo done immediately to meet .tho strain 011 tho electric car service. In the chso of tho General Post Office, the Secretary (Mr. W. .15. Morris) took prompt Kteps bv taking a plebiscite of those willlag, cither by commencing work at 8.30 a.m. or only taking half an hour for luncheon, to leave off work at 4.30 p.m., wid approximately 300 employees approved of the idea, which was considered an excellent response. There are somo branches of tho Service to whom tho plebiscite could not apply as they work in shifts, but as the result of tho pro-' posal 'it is probable that something may bo dono to bring about the alteration of hours'm respect «o those regular hours .are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. j'Tho General Manageri of Railways has also been approached with respect 'to • tho. heiul office staff. Somo .correspondents have demurred at the proposal in critical, terms,-asking why the Wellington authorities cannot manage io copo with tho troxiblo as adequately as the Auckland Tramways Company does. Tho answer to this is that the Auckland City Council has given tho company formal ni> tice of its intention ib seek to impose certain penalties (provided for in the agreoment) on tho' ground that the eer-' vice is'not adequate for tho needs of the comiumity.'