TRAMWAY TROUBLES.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2200, 26 May 1908, Page 2

TRAMWAY TROUBLES.

CHRISTCHURCH EMPLOYEES

DISSATISFIED.

THE OVERCROWDING QUESTION

(Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, May 25. At a mass meeting of the tramway employees on Sunday morning, it was resolved to send a deputation to tlio Board asking that an outside person recently appointed ticket inspector over their heads be retired, also to request a continuence of the system until recently in vogue by which surplus monies brought in by the conductors should be placed to their credit and used as a set-off against any subsequent deficiency. Tlio Board recently decided to -abolish the system of abolishing crediting surpluses to conductors,: and compelled them to. pay all deficiencies out of their own pockets. A resolution of sympathy was passed with the Auckland strikers.

The tramway men are distinctly sore in regard to the matter of the surpluses and deficits on the conductor’s change. Their complaint is that the tramway should take any surplus, whereas the individual conductors have to make up any. deficit. Until recently the one was balanced against the other, and the men hold that in fairness to thorn this practice should be discontinued. “We have a right to complain,” said one of the men. “We get wrong in our money because of the overcrowding, and this new rule means that we are going to lose money because the Board’s own regulations -are not enforced. If the cars carried only their proper number of passengers there would be no trouble. As far -as I can see tlio best thing we can do is to follow tlio example of the Auckland men and prevent overcrowding. "Wo are entitled to do this, and it will be suggested at our meeting. The Board says that it is entitled to all surplus, but if that is so why should it not also take over the deficits that are occasionally unavoidable. The officers of the Board contradict the statement made that a conductor has no" opportunity to count his own money. “The guards do count their own cash,” said one of the officials to a reporter. “They enter the amount themselves on their journey way-bill, and send it- in to the receiving office, which chocks the same. So far as the balancing is concerned they enter everything, including the numbers of their tickets themselves, -and -after that number has been checked their sales are calculated. Any deficiencies are posted for their information, and the balance waybills arc always available for their inspection- on-request. The opportunity of satisfying themselves as to the correctness of the balances is sometimes taken advantage of by the conductors.” The officer added that the surpluses could consist only of money collected from passengers without tickets having been given in return, and the amount therefore belonged to the 'Board; If it were allowed to stand to the credit of the men against- any deficit that might occur a premium would be placed upon dishonesty. The dishonest- manwould take care to have a deficit occasionally.