THE PERILS OF THE LONDON STREETS.

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 194, 26 October 1871, Page 7

THE PERILS OF THE LONDON STREETS.

The London " Daily News " says : — The battle of the streets rages on from year to year with scarcely varying fortune. Iv the conflict between unarmed foot passengers duel' the doubly-armed drivers, the weaker combatants are ridden down without mercy. Counting up the losses in killed and wounded last year in the streets which lie outside the city, we arrive at the terrible aggregite of 2,013. This is an average of about thirty-nine people every week, or six persons a day for the six busy days of the week, and three for each Sunday. Of these 2,013 victims, 121 wore killed, and 1,912 wounded. As to the engines of warfare by which their destruction is accomplished, the return published by the Chief Commissioner of Police gives some statistics which carry out the impression which Londoners derive from observation. The cabs do a deal of damage, but they are not the worst offenders. They killed 11 people aud wounded 529 during last year. The omnibuses killed 17 and hurt 85 ; while carriages and broughams killed but two and injured 213. Heavy carts, waggons, and vans killed 63 and wounded 482. But the worst offenders of all are the light carts driven by tradesmen's boys and shop men. These carts ran over 636 people during the year, of whom 27 were killed. Nearly one-third of the" so-called accidents in the -streets are, therefore, due to these carts.

These terrible figures do, not include the most densely crowded part of London. The city has its own catalogue of accidents, which do something to swell the aggregate, though the city is perhaps the safest part of London. It is surely time that something was done to stop this fearful Jiavoc. It* two thousand people fell every year in riot and insurrection, the whole world would bo horrified; but; more than two thousand fall in the chronic strife of overbearing drivers with weak, or feeble, or careless walkers, and we take it as a thing of course. Suppose thd Russian plan were introduced, aud a cart which' injured a foot-passenger was forfeitod, would tho figures of street accidents long tell so terrible a story ?*" . ■

A natioual- conference is to belkeld at Birminghani, tho sessions of whichHvill begin on the 28th of November, to consider' the necessity of reform in the composition and powers of the House Qf Lords,;