THE TRAMWAY.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5434, 27 August 1878, Page 2

THE TRAMWAY.

TO THE EDITOR OP TUIS NEW ZEALAND TIMES. Sir.—la common with- the inhabitants of Wellington generally, I heartily congratulate the Tramway Company upon the achievement of a success which its enterprise fully deserves. I express myself thus unreservedly at the outset because I have a few remarks to make upon the semi-official tramway “code” issued through the columns of your morning contemporary, and because I do not wish those remarks to be attributed to any unworthy feeling. It seems to me that the first flush of success has turned some of the directors’ heads. In no other way can I account for the dictatorial mandate promulgated by the High Court of Directors for the guidance and direction of the public. It is announced, for instance, that “ the general manager has given instructions to the contractor to commence this morning to alter the curves, so as to give a sufficient sweep for the large carriages to turn.” There may be no objection to this being done, but it would have been as well if the City Council had been mentioned in the matter, as it alone has the power, under the “order” of the late Superintendent of the, province, to authorise the streets to be broken up. The rails are at present laid “ in the centre of the roadway,” in accordance with the terms of that “order,” and the Council will probably desire to have a voice in any proposal to interfere with those terms.

Perhaps it will be said that the “ code ” is not official. It is at least authoritative,, for it strictly warns the public “ that any obstruction offered to the engine or carriages will render the person or persons so obstructing liable to a heavy penalty, and steps will be taken to enforce the regulations in this respect.” The Tramway Act provides the penalty for “ wilful obstruction,” but the obvious intent of the warning given in the “ code" is that the public is to “ clear the road." Let me point out that the obligation is all the other way. The “order’* issued under the hand of the Superintendent directs that the company “shall conduct its business in such a manner as not to interfere with theordiuarytraffic of the streets;" and it goes on to say that “ if the city engineer shall consider that the ordinary traffic is in any manner impeded by the tramway he shall, by written notice, require the carriages or waggons to travel at a diminished rate of speed in certain streets, or to stop altogether, if necessary, until the street is clear of ordinary traffic. The “ordinary traffic" is the paramount consideration, not the tramway.

Then the “ code ” tells us that a notice is to be posted in every engine to the effect that “ the drivers are not to drive at the rate of more than three or four miles an hour round street corners." It was perfectly unnecessary for the company to frame any regulation upon that point, for the'Superintendent’s “order," which is supreme, tells us that “ through Willis-street the maximum rate shall be four miles per hour, the carriages to go round all street corners at a walking pace.” It was understood that the engines were to be “noiseless, smokeless, and steamless." It is a pity they are not, for the rush of steam is a fruitful cause of bolts. The directors would be wise to avoid the steam escape—which I believe is quite possible—for the citizens have a protection against annoyance or inconvenience iu the following clause of the “order “ The power to be used upon the said tramway shall be steam or animal power, or both, at the option of the promoters, but it is hereby directed that if the employment of steam power shall, in the opinion of the Governor, or of any engineer directed by him to report thereon, be dangerous or inconvenient, or a nuisance to the public, then the promoters may by order to be made by the Governor iu that behalf be confined to the use of animal power only.” I mention these few matters iu a purely friendly spirit, and in the hope that the directors will not forget that there are certain public rights connected with this matter which it would not be well to ignore. A more modest “codo" would have been more becoming,—x am, &c., Progress.,