Citizens Say

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 899, 17 February 1930, Page 8

Citizens Say

(To the Editor.)

BIRKENHEAD TRANSPORT Sir,— I would like to point out the present disgraceful overcrowding in buses running ip the Borough of Birkenhead. This is a daily occurrence. None of the bus proprietors appears to be making the slightest effort to cater for the full nedds of the travelling public and neither the Borough Council nor the No. 2 Licensing Authority seems to take any notice of this overloading. As an example, a bus from the 12.20 p.m. boat today, though only licensed to carry about 27, carried over 50, and every time a passenger wished to alight it was necessary for or eight persons to unpack from the steps, then hurriedly clamber on again as the bus moved off. Yet in spite of this there is. a rumour, in certain quarters, that pressure is to be brought to bear on the council again to license, as buses, the motor-cars which were the direct cause of our losing the only satisfactory service the borough has ever had. Ratepayers should bear this in mind at the by-election next Tuesday. REGULAR 15/2/30. SAMOA INQUEST VERDICT Certain people are unaware that a coroner can only give liis verdict in accordance with the evidence tendered in the coronial court. As the authorities prevented, by proclamation, the principal witnesses l'rom giving evidence, it is surprising to me how well the coroner came to a determination, seeing that so little evidence—and that of a feeble type—was obtainable against the Administration, when there was an abundance available of the strongest nature, I found while in Samoa that Chief Judge Luxford had created a most favourable impression with white folk and natives alike for his impartiality in the dispensation of justice and at the inquest he recognised at the outset his difficulty in determining the questions involved without the Samoan witnesses. As I was the only witness at the court who had seen the dead and examined the wounds the inquest could not have proceeded at all if I had not tendered evidence of death. This will show the predicament the court was in throughout. A. HALL SKELTON. RIGHTS OF PEDESTRIANS Sir, — It seems from the tone of some letters appearing under this heading that it is the desire of their writers to foster ill teeling between motorists and pedestrians. A system of co-operation betn een ail parties using the roads is the only one that will help to solve our daily increasing traffic problems. Footpaths are entirely for pedestrian * ra ffi c . and on those occasions when motorists must drive over crossings

in the footpaths it is their duty to do | so in such a manner that the safety j of pedestrians shall in’no wise be endangered. Likewise the roadway is provided firstly for the use of vehicles and when foot passengers have need to cross the roadway they in their turn should do so as quickly and directly as possible, giving their undivided attention to what they are doing, thereby contributing to their own safety as weli as making the lot of the drivers much easier. How often do we see people make a sudden rush off the footpath, giving no heed whatever to what traffic is near? If they are knocked down and injured, surely it is their own fault. On the Grafton Bridge notices are placed instructing pedestrians to use the right-hand footpath, but there are many who appear to lack sufficient intelligence even to follow this simple rule. A driver driving across this bridge lias to be on the alert lest soma pedestrian wishing to pass another two or three pedestrians suddenly steps off the footpath on to the roadway. At busy intersections—Queen and Customs Streets, Queen and Wellesley Streets, Grafton Bridge, Pitt Street and Karangahape Road —somepedestrians seem to take a delight in jazzing about on the roadwav, to all intents like, butterflies, having no definite destination but simply going in any direction that the wind blows. When an accident occurs a full inquiry should be held, and whoever is to blame, whether it be motorist, tramcar driver or pedestrian, a reasonable fine should be made. If the driver of a vehicle is run down by a train on a level crossing he ■ is often charged in the court with trespass on the railway. These pedestrians who carelessly trespass on the roadway and cause accident should he likewise charged and, if guilty, fined accordingly. MOTORIST. LOCAL INDUSTRIES Sir, — A point that is often missed by tho'se vho publicly advocate the encouragement of local industries is that, as a class it is the workers who buy most locally-made goods. The professional and business classes, as a rule patronise the shops which stock imported goods. Even those business men whose commercial welfare depends on the sale of the products of local industry wear clothing made of material from o-verseas and miported boots and shoes; eat foodstuffs from other countries; use whh£ an th • casas a foreign-made cur. nlule then- wives insist on having fTocks, coats and hats. And then these men wonder why New Zeahere ,ndustrie ? <3° not flourish, why there is unemployment, and talk of imtion V ‘i"n\vw State „ of a «airs by reduclionrs ,“ s and mcrease of working hours. I contend that the fact that £of^hlghlr anifthe resuß When°wm aian Y fac . ture * and markets A if c’ of economy ? meSS th * M.B.S.