THE CHRISTMAS TRAMCAR

New Zealand Listener, Volume 26, Issue 651, 21 December 1951, Page 8

THE CHRISTMAS TRAMCAR

HE matter of a Christmas gift for their, employees was one which caused the Tramway Company some concern. Free rides had been somewhat overdone, and the concession tickets that had been sold the year before had not been appreciated. After due deliberation, however, it was decided that the best plan would be to elevate the morale of the whole staff by applying a coat of paint to one of the company’s tramcars, © Immediately, in the board room, contention was rife. Which vehicle should receive the honour? The board was equally divided between the preservation of the tramcar and the perpetuation of the paint. Deadlock was reached, and the matter referred to the manager. The manager, for policy reasons, referred it to the .Superintendent, who, taking note of popular opinion, asked a motorman. _"Under the circumstances," the motorman said, idly twirling his driving handle, "there is no doubt that the

wisest course would be a purely utilitarian one; that is, to apply the paint to the car most in need of it." This point of view was accepted gratefully by the board, and a commission was promptly despatched to the tram barn to ascertain which of the vehicles was in most need of repair, It was perhaps unfortunate that the company’s first tramcar had not yet been removed for scrap. As it was, it was discovered in a corner, partly concealed by the scenery used in the Christmas pantomime. It was undoubtedly the tramcar most in need of paint. Reluctantly, the board agreed to its renovation. YET, when the renovation was com"plete, the tramcar was the Company’s finest possession. Its black wheels gleamed, its brass shone, its golden decorations and red and cream panelling dazzled the eye, and there could be no words adequate to describe the translucency of its varnish. Every motorman in the barn wished to drive it, but the board wisely made its choice by lot. Everyone was overjoyed to hear that the lot had fallen to Llewellyn and Arthur. These two had been fast friends

since Llewellyn had been given his first command. In fact, it was rumoured that. Arthur had disdained to advance his position, even though promotion had been offered, in order that their friendship might not -be severed. Few, ~ then, forbore to cheer as Liewellyn drove, his proud charge out into the street, and Arthur, the tram having "coasted neatly to @ halt beyond the points,

drew down the trollypole once in smart salute. Arthur and Llewellyn were most conscientious. At unoccupied moments during the day Arthur would move along the footboard with a square of chamois leather, cleaning and burnishing, and at the termini they took it in turn to lamp-black the wheels and sweep out the interior, carrying a portable broom for the purpose. Llewellyn, of course, exercised the greatest possible care in the traffic, frequently applying the brake, and occasionally admonishing tardy’ vehicles with chimes upon his bell. BUT at times Liewellyn was careless. Under the summer sun the bright beauty of the vehicle in his command

was like wine in his veins. One day, approaching an intersection, he neglected to give way to a vehicle approaching on his right. The motor skidded to a halt in front of the tramcar, and Llewellyn, shocked by visions of scarred paint, was forced to apply the ratchet brake. "Where," asked the young man in the motor-car, "do you think you are going?" "That is a question that might adequately be answered by a glance at our destination board,’ replied Llewellyn, coldly. "And, as for my thoughts upon the matter, they need be as little taken into account by you as they are by the Despatcher." "My question was a rhetorical one," said the young man. "The true object of my ‘enquiry was to ascertain whether or not you were cognisant of the right-hand rule." "Our rule is the rule of fate," cried Arthur, swinging agilely along the footboard. "We tread but the path laid down before us." "True," said Llewellyn, "Our profession, by its very nature, inclines us towards predestinarianism." Yet, asthe young man drave away, Llewellyn ‘was troubled. "Arthur," he said, "is it really so? Are we maved

only by the will of others, bound on an endless chain of arrivals and departures, without freedom?" "What is freédom?" asked Arthur, gaily, "but to move within limits? If there were no limits, how could we know we were free?" "That argument 48 . suspect," said Liewellyn, putting the tram in motion. "It touches only upon the quintessence of the matter

and does not approach its practical application. We may be free to travel from place to place, but we are bound because our routes and destinations are always the same." YOUNG woman on the pavement indicated her desire to board the vehicle. Arthur studied her for a second. "Her shoes are clean," he said, "and her hands gloved. It would cause us no distress to allow her to travel with us. And yet, if we did so, might we not be binding her in a certain way, whereas if we allow her to is she will be free?" "Alas," said Llewellyn, stopping the tram, "it does not lie within our freedom to make even that decision." Arthur departed to show the young woman to a seat, and Llewellyn sank into a reverie, from which he was roused only by his. friend’s signal on the buzzer. When Arthur returned, Llewellyn said, as if in continuation, "Such considerations afe trivial. If we wish to widen the bounds that encircle us, we must act positively." "You have a_ suggestion?" Arthur asked. "While you were absent," Liewellyn said, "I thought of the approaching season.of Christmas, and of those whose existence on Christmas Day will be colourless and drab. It came to my mind that it might lie within our power to perform a small service for them, at the same time fulfilling for ourselves that thing we were speaking of." Arthur stared at his friend, entranced. "On the day I have mentioned," Llewellyn continued, "we shall be travelling this route again, transporting happy children and their parents from one place of festivity to another." (Arthur’s face registered distaste at thought of childish hands on his polished brass.) "There will be few of them, however, who will be truly aware of us." "Yes," sighed Arthur, "there are some whom we pass so frequently that I fear

they have become completely oblivious of our presence." "What right, then, have they to see us," cried Llewellyn, "when there are others who may long to and cannot." "None," said Arthur, "none. But what is there for us to do?" "We can go to those who need us." Llewellyn said. "On Christmas Day, we shall," % oe * ATE on Christmas Eve, residents in the streets between two of the city’s termini were surprised to see two young men in uniform festooning strands of wire between telegraph poles. Many of the residents assumed the activity to be of an official nature, but there were one or two whose curiosity drove them to the point of enquiry. Among them was a Mr. Lysander, a gentleman connected with the manufacture of gas. Leaving his garden, he approached the young men, "Could you inform me," he asked, "of the nature of your intentions here?" "Tt is not a matter than can as yet be made public," said Llewellyn, "but I have no doubt that, should you station yourself at your window at the time of the arrival of the first tramcar tomorrow morning you will be enlightened." : ot Mr. Lysander thanked the young man, and turned back to impart the information to his neighbours. As the sun ascended into the sky on Christmas morning, the residents of those streets where the young men had been gathered with their families at their front gates and windows. They stood, attentive, their eyes focused on the gleaming rails that came towards » them over the brow of the hill. Suddenly a stir passed through the multitude. A tramcar, the colours of (continued on next page):

(continued from previous page) which rivalled’ the sun for brightness, came over the hill‘and descended to the terminus. It was more than the colour, though, that caught the eye, for the car was decorated with wreaths of holly and mistletoe and hung with fragile globes of glass. The residents stared, wide-eyed, waiting for it to come to a halt. * Instead of comihg" to. a stop, the tram proceeded off the ends of the rails and continued slowly down the street, its trolly-pole connected with the improvised wires above, and its wheels cutting deep furrows in the asphalt. Led by Mr. Lysander, the assembled people cheered hilariously, Lliewellyn’s foot tapped a merry tune on the bell, and Arthur. flourished his tickets from the rear. "How exhilarating is their appreciation," said Llewellyn to himself. "T confess that I am almost intoxicated with pleasure," He looked ahead, where, it seemed, thousands stood waiting for them. Their cries drowned the chiming of the bell, and some threw streamers and confetti of such hues that even Arthur’s pad of tickets appeared pale. Llewellyn smiled as he thought of the streets lined with happy people that they would traverse before they came to the other’ terminus. Soon they would turn the corner and fresh multitudes would come into view. Soon they would turn the corner! His breast filled with horror at the thought. They could not turn the corner! Speedily he applied the airbrake, and the tram subsided, hissing impotently into the asphalt. For a moment the cheering ceased. In the lull Arthur called, "Llewellyn, Llewellyn, what has happened?" He came swinging swiftly down the footboard, the pennies jingling in his pouch. "Arthur!" cried Liewellyn, "look, a corner. We must go back." In an instant Arthur understood. He paled for a moment. Then, as the cheers ing broke out afresh, his natural good —

humour prevailed. "Those before cry forward, and those behind cry back," he misquoted, jestingly. But the tram would not go back. In spite of all Llewellyn’s efforts it was adamant, Neither would it go forward. At last, Llewellyn cried, despairingly, "It is of no avail. Alas, Arthur, that our ambition should come to this." "It is sad indeed," said Arthur, "but we must not lose hope. Perhaps the Despatcher, appraised of our plarfs, will send assistance to us." "Perhaps," said Llewellyn, deep in gloom, "though I doubt the possibility. In fact, Arthur, I fear: for our careers." UT-all was well. The authorities were lenient. At a special board meeting called to discuss the matter, the chairman, Colonel Vern-Starnish, said: "In view of their intentions, I cannot find it in my heart to condemn these men. However, we cannot take the risk of further occurrences of this sort-we have already had a communication from the City Council on the matter of unauthorised power-lines-so I propose that the distracting tramcar concerned should be removed from the service and donated to a museum," Immediately there were indignant cries of "Shame!" "Oh, cruel!" "What of the men?" Colonel. Vern-Starnish raised his hand. "For the men," he said, "for the men we can take only one step in mitigation. We can offer only the poor substitute of an Inspectorship." And so it was. Arthur and Llewellyn now pass from tramcar to. tramcar, chatting with motormen and exchanging light badinage with the passengers. Despite their position and their gay uniforms, they are still extremely popular. Yet, for all that, they find their happiest moments when, relieved of their duties, they can don their threadbare blue serge again and spend a quiet’ hour or two in the transport section of the museum,

PIC