THE GLOBE. SATURDAY, MAY 22, 1880.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1948, 22 May 1880, Page 2

THE GLOBE. SATURDAY, MAY 22, 1880.

There appears to be—judging from what took place at the recent interview of the Tramway Company with the City Council —considerable haziness in the minds of both bodies as to the powers of the latter under tbe Act. One of tbe Councillors —and properly too—made a remark as to the power of tbe Council to regulate the traffic in the interests of the public. This brought up the energetic Chairman of Directors who, after laying great stress upon tbe fact that the Company were going to invest £25,000 on this line over which they were seeking a concession, wrathfully declined to allow any other body to interfere with their traffic. His colleague, Mr. Allan, followed in a somewhat similar strain, but wisely took a different way of putting it to bis more excitable confrere. " Suppose," said Mr. Allan, "we have a Council who may be altogether inimical to us what will be our position ? " This, of course, is all very well, and no doubt Mr. Allan thought he was putting a very powerful argument against the local body controlling the traffic. So indeed he would, and one which would have taken some trouble to answer bad there been no legislation at all on the subject of the powers of local bodies over the traffic. But tbe fact is that all those who spoke on tbe subject did so without fully understanding the real position. In the first place, tbe Council have no need to insert in tbe deed of concession proposed any clause with regard to the regulation of the traffic. They have amplo powers'to do this under tbe Tramways Act of 1872. For the benefit of both sides, let us quote Section 100 of the Tramways Act, which is as follows—- " Nothing in this Act shall limit the powers of tbe local authority or police in any district to regulate the passage of any traffic along or across any road along or across which any tramways are laid down, and such authority or police may exercise their authority as well on as off the tramway, and with respect as well to the traffic of tbe promot rs or of lessees, as to traffic of other persons." There can be nothing clearer than this. The Council has ample power granted to it to regulate the traffic of tbe tramway, and in tbe language of the concluding portion of the section, to treat the Tramway Company precisely as they would any other public carrier or vehicle plying for hire within tbe city. That this is so, we think cannot for one moment be denied, and we cannot understand bow this section should have escaped the notice of tho members of the Council. Mr. Brown and Mr. Allan, it appears to us, entirely misconceived what Councillor Cherrill meant when be spoke of regulating the traffic. It was not meant, as seemed to be assumed by both these gentlemen, that the Council should step in and assume the position, as it were, of General Manager of the Company's lines, dealing witb the hours of starting trains and tbe number run per diem. That was not the meaning of regulating tbe traffic as expressed by the Council. But what was meant—and this point was entirely lost sight of by the deputation—was that tbe Council should have exactly the same power over the tramway as it has over tbe general traffic —that in fact tbe Tramway Company, because it is such, should not be able to do just as tboy please to tbe detriment, it may be, of tho public. As to an inimical Council, so much feared by Mr. Allan, it could not affect this question one iota. The law is laid down clearly, and tbe Council, however hostile, could not go beyond it. Tho Act settles the whole questien.

The dangerous condition of the crossing over the railway in Colombo street has been brought beforo the notice of the Government on more than one occasion, but apparently without effect. At present it is only something short of a miracle that a fatal accident has not occurred, because of all places on the line this seems to be the one selected for almost innumerable trains to fly backwards and forwards, engaged in the pleasant pastime known as " shunting." The unfortunate pedestrians have meanwhile to look on and wait patiently, or if they are of a choleric temperament, make a run across with the possible chance of furnishing a subject for an inquest. To remedy this state of things, it was proposed some time ago to build a crossing bridge similar to that in use to connect tho two platforms at the Christcnurch terminus. The cost, comparatively speaking, is so small that we are at a loss to understand why, after tho pressing requests made for carrying out this, it has not been done. That it is highly necessary no one will, wo think, be found to deny, and this beiDg so, it is surely the duty of the Government either to carry it out or to make some such other provision as will obviate the difficulties now felt. We hope that the public will not allow this matter to rest quietly until some accident revives interest in it unpleasantly, but that means will be taken to urge upon tho Government the great necessity which exists for this being done. If tho members for Christchurch and the district were asked, no doubt they would be glad to take tho matter in hand. No small boon to the inhabitants both of Christchurch and Sydenham would be granted if a foot-bridge, such as suggested, were erected.