The Globe. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 29, 1876.

Globe, Volume V, Issue 530, 29 February 1876, Page 2

The Globe. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 29, 1876.

Osr various occasions lately—notably those of a festive character—it has been the fashion to dilate with some degree of pride on the very admirable City Council which Christchurch now possesses. All former Councils, though numberiug amongst their members some of our oldest and most respected public men, have, according to some persons, to hide their diminished heads. A circumstance, however, which occurred at the meeting of this exceedingly admirable body yesterday, makes us very much doubt if the praise which has been bestowed upon it with so lavish a hand is really deserved. A memorial came up, in the ordinary course of business, from the City Carriers, praying that some steps might be taken to regulate the ages of boys allowed to drive express waggons in the city of Christchurch. That some such regulation is needed, in the interests of the public, and for the prevention of accidents, every person, even though not possessed of the brilliancy of intellect conferred upon gentlemen sitting at the Council table, will allow. It is notorious that express waggons are driven by mere lads —children in fact—through the streets of the city at a most dangerous pace, and not only so, but the youthful drivers exhibit the most culpable carelessness in the way they attempt to control their horses. The reins He loose in a [heap, so that were an accident impending, which might be averted by a smart pull up, they would be perfectly helpless. The way they shoot a corner into the most crowded thoroughfares, quite reckless of the lives or limbs of the unfortunate foot passengers, is something to be remembered, and it is only short of a miracle that serious accidents do not occur almost daily. These are facts which anyone who will stand near the Bank of New Zealand for a few minutes can verify. But what does our model Council do ? We are told that all other Councils should copy this one of Christchurch; that they should admiringly look on at the way the work is done here, and take pattern accordingly. When, however, they find that on a subject probably affecting the lives of the citizens, the City Council of Christchurch does not think it worth its while to take action, they may, with us, think that the pattern set up for theiradmiration and example is not the real thing after all. So far as we can gather, from the report of the proceedings, there does not appear to have been any disussion whatever about it. The matter has been put on one side in a somewhat similar manner to a request for a drain to be cut, or a footpath repaired. We really think that the Council hardly understood the importance of the matter, or they surely would not have shelved it in the way they did. Either they do not think the safety of the citizens from careless and incompetent drivers worth attending to, or they failed to see the true purport of the memorial. With the recollection of the laudatory speeches of high officials as to the Council, fresh in our minds, we cannot for one moment entertain the latter idea, and are therefore reluctantly forced to the conclusion that

after all the probable sacrifice of a citizen or so does not materially affect the equanimity of the City Council. The resolution says the Council do not “ at present ” think it necessary to make a bye-law on the subject. Of course not; up to the present the boydriven expresses have managed, more by luck than anything else, to escape an accident, and we suppose that until one does occur, nothing will be done. It is • highly probable, however, that should it so happen that the Mayor, or one of the Councillors, was to be the sufferer (which we sincerely hope will not be the case) a remedy would quickly be applied to what is now becoming a growing evil.