TRAMWAY REGULATIONS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 26, 25 July 1911, Page 2

TRAMWAY REGULATIONS

MEETING OF PROTEST. By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Monday. A conference of local bodies was held in Wellington to-day to protest against the proposed tramway regulations. The Acting-Mayor of Wellington, Mr. J. Smith, presided, and forty delegates were present. The chairman explained that the meeting was called for the purpose of protesting against the suggested regulations, and had no political significance, and that it was highly desirable that the political aspect should not be allowed to enter into the proceedings. Local bodies desired to have no undue interference with their rights and privileges and in the running of their utilities so ■that tramway enterprises would at least be enaibled to earn interest on the money invested in thean.

Mr. Keist (Dunedin) moved that the business be taken in committee, and Mr. TTamel (Roslyn) seconded, and said the communication his borough liad received was marked '•'confidential," and nske<l for suggestions for amending the draft regulations. Mr. Booth (chairman of the Christchurch Tramways Board) agreed, and said the nature of the communication liis .hoard had received wa's such thai he and his. fellow delegates could not take part in a public discussion on the regulations, and that even if the business of the conference was to be made public, they would l still be debarred from taking part. Three delegates urged publicity.

The chairman said he had written to the Government asking that the embargo "confidence" be removed, 'but had got no reply, and he then made the draft public. He thought the Government slmiihl have removed the embargo. Eventually the meeting decided by an overwhelming majority to sit in camera. As a result of the temper of the delegates. it is probably a public meeting of protest called for to-night will resolve itself into a purely local objection.