The Dunstan Times. FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 1874.

Dunstan Times, Issue 627, 24 April 1874, Page 2

The Dunstan Times. FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 1874.

Beneath the Uuleof Men entirely just the pen is mightier than theawoßD.

Coaching accidents are unfortunately becoming -much too frequent of late, and we have not only to deplore a large number of serious cases of severe bodily injury, but the loss of valuable lives. The Tuapeha and Tokomairiro roads appear particular - ly famous for these disasters, that we cannot longer content ourselves with the verdicts of sympathising juries, but strike at the evil at once, but assuming that there must always be a fault somewhere. It cannot be in all cases that no blame could be attached to the driver of the respective vehicles, or that the hreakageor loosening of a bolt or nut was purely beyond human control, and we feel assured that, were a “ Plimsoll ” in coaches co rise up amongst us, many would be found quite unworthy to make a safe journey with. The jury that investigated the circumstances of the death of the little boy Anderson, the victim of the late accident at the Beaumont certainly did go so far as to recommend that, all pole horses attached to coaches should be harnessed with breeching, but we think that they might have gone further, and added a recommendation that, all vehicles carrying passengers, should un- ’ dergo periodical supervision by some competent person to be appointee i by the Government. This is done in : the case of steamboats, whether the} be running on tire high seas, or upor f lakes or rivers, and when found un 1 sound or defective from the effects ol ’ age or wear, are prohibited from car . rying passengers under any cirenin stances. The numerous coach acci dents we have been lately called npo: ’ to chronicle demands a similar system and this inspection should not only ex J tend to the vehiclesthemselves but, th

harness and other appointments, also, as well as to the capabilities of the drivers for their work. It may. be very well to argue that damages, where carelessness or neglect is proved, may bo recovered from the proprietors, but, the verdict of a jury is one thing, and getting the money another; besides, the process is attended with a grievous loss of time, lot alone expense, and the result to ihe persons injured has no practical effect whatever. It is now' high time the legislature stepped in and passed some stringent measures, to compel owners of public conveyances to pay more attention to the safety of their passengers, and appointments of their vehicles, and make it almost compulsory that a passenger should be < put down at the end of a journey in as sound ajconditioniaspwhen he commenced it. This is done in the case >©f merchandise, and no excuses are permitted, and why should not the same care he enforced where human life is at stake, surely it is more valuable than "a bale -of wool, or-chest of tea. There may certainly be dangerous places upon the roads, when some unforeseen event, such a< a landslip'or flood, might bring about an accident, and there would be extenuating circumstances, but so foras our powers of judging lead us, nearly all the accidents that have occurred within the last'two years, might have been prevented. In the present instance it is said, the brake broke at the handle, and the evidence of the driver goes to show that the same occurred once before when he held his foot.npon it, now, it must he sufficiently clear from this that, the brake was not strong enough for its work, and must have been rendered still more weak, by previous repairs, no oft welded piece of iron being anything like as strong as when original ly fashioned and applied to its destined uses. Coaching, as a rule, must be a good paying business, if we are to judge by the eagerness with which people lush into it, but parties so engaged should feel themselves compelled by some superior power to provide proper and safely appointed vehicles, before asking the public to patronise I them, let alone that the drivers-should I be thoroughly competent and reliable 1 persons. Under any circumstances ; the coach and horses •should ■ be held ! amenable lor damages for accident, ! when the least possibility of proventicn existed, and were Ibis ibe law in respect to publicp’ehicles, we fed assured that casualties on the read 1 would be quite as few as they are now ! common.