ONE MAN TRAM CARS.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 July 1919, Page 7

ONE MAN TRAM CARS.

OBJECTIONS TO SYSTEM IN NEW PLYMOUTH. ' . 1 Tht inquiry into the objectiona against an order-in-council giving the New Plymouth Borough Council power to operate the tramways on what is known as the one-man system, was continued at the Magistrate's Court yesterday before Mr J. W. Poynton, S.M. The Borough Council was represented by Mr J, H. Quilliam, Mr H. R. Billing appearing for the Tramwaymen's Union. Mr A. H. Kimbell represented the Public Works Department, and Messrs W. H, Fitzpatrick and George E. Blancliard appeared for the petitioning objectors. Further evidence was lead by Mr Billing on behalf of the tramway men. Egbert G. Whyte, recalled by Mr Billing, detailed a head-on collision in Vivian Street, Wellington, about four years ago. One car penetrated the other car about four feet, and the point made by the witness was that in the event of a one-man system the only exit from the car (that at the front) would have been closed to passengers, who would have been unable t& teave the car.

To Mr Quilliam; He knew of several other instances in which collisions had closed the front exits of cars. If the proposed one-man cars for. New Plymouth were made ,to open at the rear end in cases of emergency it would be in the interests of public safety. To Sjp Kimbell: He was not aware that in the event of an accident under the one-man system, ,the Minister could order the council to revert to the twomen' one-car system. He thought in the adoption of the one-man system it would be in the interests of passengers to have the rear doors closed, as then all the passengers boarding or alighting from cars would then be under the eye of the motorman. He did not think it would be necessary to reduce the speeds set . out in the proposed order-in-council.

Vernon George, conductor, and president of the local Tramwaymen's Union, gave evidence of an accident at Epsom, Auckland, on July 9 last in which after a collision between a tram car and a lorry the motorman was, disabled and had there been no conductor to apply the emergency brakes there would have been certain disaster. Witness stated he had attended the conference of Tramway Unions in Christchurch recently, and agreed with the resolution passed there protesting against the adoption of the one-man system on the ground that it did away with tho employment of a certain number of men at ,the expense of the public safety.

To Mr Quilliam: He was not aware that in New Plymouth it was not proposed to dispense with the services of any of ,the present tramway employees. In reply to Mr Kimbell witness said that in the recent accident at Christchurch, the tram consisted of an electric car and two .trailers, and he believed there was only one conductor. In regard to loading limitations lie thought under a one-man system no "overload" should be allowed at all. Overloading was rife' in New Plymouth at certain times, though he was not aware that there had been any accident as a result o"f the practice. To Mr Fitzpatrick: The conference at Christchurch had come to the conclusion as set out in the resolution submitted from the information that had been gathered from newspaper reports of the one-man system. Theije was no one who had had any practical experience of its working.

W. H. Fitzpatrick, waterside worker, who represented the Taranaki Workers' Council, and the objecting ratepayers, said lie agreed with the evidence given by the representatives of the tramway union. He also stressed further that the safety of the public was the chief concern of the petitioner-objectors. If the system was to be used only at slack times and if the public safety was to be properly safeguarded, then there could be no logical objection .to the system. He recognised the trains were a good ajjset to the Borough, they were a publio convenience, and their running should not be looked at solely from a £.s.d. point of view. The effort ,to effect economies in public services had often been the cause of accidents. , To Mr Billing: He thought there would be great loss of time when many passengers were getting on at tho same time. There was also great danger to a motorman, as there would be no one to assist. In spite of what was called the "dead man" control, a motorman might have a fit or even fall over dead without leaving the seat, and the current would then not be cut off. To Mr Quilliam: He did not know how many of those who signed the petition in. objection were ratepayers. They were users of the trams. There was no special organisation, of ratepayers opposed to the change. There were about 200 signatures on the petition, but inapy more could have been got only time was not available.

George E. Blanchard, storekeeper, who also represented the objectors Baid he agreed entirely with the evidence that had been given. He believed there was great danger to the public in the proposed system on account of the insufficient control of cars in case of accidents.

To Mr Kimbell: The real objection wasi that the safety of the public was endangered. He had read nothing to enlighten him on the system of operation as worked in other places. Neither did he know that the one-man cars were in America called "safety cars." In reply to Mr Fitzpatrick witness said in his opinion public opinion was against the system, and that if a poll was taken on the proposed change it would be'defeated.

CASE FOR THE COUNCIL. Mr Quilliam, in opening the case for the Borough Council, said the good rule and government of the Borough was vested in ,the Council and they could be trusted to look after the safety of the public. They were satisfied the system would be more efficient and of greater service ,to the public. It was not ft sudden inspiration of the Council, but had been considered for over a year now, a report having been received in July last from Mr Pringle who operated a one-man system in Ballarat. In regard to the alterations necessary to cars, (ill the requirements of the Public Works Department had been satisfied. Mr Quilliam expressed surprise that the objectors had not taken the course set out in the Municipal Corporations Act, and demanded a poll of on the question. The conclusion to be arrived at was that the requisite 5 per cent of ratepayers would not sign a petition asking fpr a poll. He then proceeded ,to state that the only valid objection to the change could be on the grounds of the safety of the public, and this bpd been amply provided for is the

order which was asked for, and had Ibeeti prepared and designed by people who understood those tjiings and had regard for the public safety. He said lie was afraid the real objection of the petitioners was that the system was a laborsaving device, and that was plainly evident from the tenor of the resolution passed at the Christchurch conference. He was in a position, however, to say that no men would be thrown out of employment in New Plymoutli, and that in all probability more men and more cars would be required under the new system. He thought questions of efficiency and economy in the running of tlie system could well be left ,to management.

Russell H. Bartley, electrical engineer and tramways manager for tlie Borough of New Plymouth, said he had been making a study of the one-man tramway system, and had come to the conclusion that under certain conditions it was more efficient and more economical than a two-man system. The chief object of the change was ,to reduce the working' expenses without reducing the service, and then to provide a more efficient service. He said the full economy of the service would not be felt at first, as all the present cars were not the most suitable for a one-man system. Lighter cars were one of tlie features of the system and that meant a saving in current consumption, .wear and tear oh cars and also on tracks. He favored lighter cars and a more frequent service, and pointed out that under the proposed system, rush times would be catered for by putting on two cafs within a couple of minutes of each other, wi,th one man in control of each, while at present one big car was operated by two men. He pointed out that the average number of passengers carried was 8 or 9 per mile, but said that during certain parts of the day the average was only from 3 to 4, and those were the parts of the day in which it was proposed at first to uso the oneman cars. While .the system might require that some of the men should change their class of employment, ho gave an assurance that work would be found for all the men now employed. Mr Bartley said it was proposed that the "dead man control" device should be attached to all new cars purchased for the one-man system- He then exhibited plans of the alterations proposed to the present* cars to adapt them to the one-man system. In regard to the danger of motonnen becoming ill or having a fit, he said he thought it a less likely happening than among men in other employment, as they were all medically certified as iit before appointment. On the question of delays in the running of cars, Mr Bartley quoted from the report of Mr Pringle on the Ballarat and Bendigo services, which served 25,000 and 40,000 people, and the same time-table was maintained as under the old one-man system, and they travelled at,from eight to eight and a half miles per hour. The New Plymouth speed was about nine miles per hour, but the population served was very much leas. In Bendigo the service was not wholly on the one-man principle, but during some par,ts of the day it was over 75 per cent q. one-man system. The majority of their mileage was over a single track with loops. There was similar opposition there and in other places, to the introduction of the system, but the pe.ople had been educated up to its use, and there was now nothing heard egainst it. The report by Mr Pringle was put in. The system ,to be adopted here was ft "pay as you enter, pay as yon leave" one. All passengers coming into a fixed point in town, would pay as they entered a car, while those trayelling out of town would pay as Ihey alighted, so that there would be no dealing with fares at the most congested point. For equal mileage and equal number of passengers carried there was less loss and fewer accidents on the , one-man systems than, on two-men cars,!

To Mr Billing: In the change over to the new system the doors of the present cars would lock from the inside and could only be opened from the inside. The new cars would bo locked pneumatically, the lock being controlled by the motormas. In the event of an emergency the lock control could be cut by a passenger. As a matter of fact under the "dead man" control the locks were operated by the motorman and if the current were cut by him the doors could then be opened by any passengers.

To Mr Kimbell: On the present cars there would be all the customary safety devices and in addition that of the closed entrance or exit at the rear end of the car, and on new cars there would be the best "dead man control" device that was obtainable at the time of purchase, subject always to the approval of the .Public Works Department. It would be to the interest of the Borough to see that the cars were as safe as possible for the public. In regard to overcrowding, the regulations of the Department would be complied with. He agreed that with the control of the car completely in the hands of one man, the liability of accident was decreased. In America there were 161 and in Australia three systems operated on the one-man principle, and this had been adopted in recent years, that at Ballarat being adopted in 1913. The increased responsibility of the motorman would, of course, be recognised. This concluded the evidence, and the Magistrate intimated he would make his report to the Department and a copy would be forwarded to all the parties.