NEW TRAMWAY REGULATIONS

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3278, 25 July 1911, Page 5

NEW TRAMWAY REGULATIONS

PROTESTING LOCAL BODIES. A CONFERENCE IN CAMERA. (.PEE PEESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON, July 24. A conference of local bodies was held in Wellington today to protest against the proposed tramway regulations. The Acting Mayor (Mr J. Smith) presided, and 40 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 he allowed to enter into the proceedings'. The local bodies desired to have no undue interference with their rights and privileges, and the running of their utilities, so that tramway enterprise would at least be enabled to earn interest on the money in them. Mr Keast (Dunedin) moved that the business he taken in committee.

Mr Hamil (Roslyn) seconded the motion. and said that the communication his borough had received was marked confidential and asked for suggestions for. amending the draft regulations. Mr Booth (chairman of the Christchurch Tramway Board) agreed, and said that the nature of the communication his Board had received was such that 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 still be debarred from taking part. Three delegates urged publicity. The chairman said he had written to the Government asking that the embargo of “confidence” be removed, but the Government bad not replied, and lie then, made the draft public. He l thought the Government should have removed the embargo. Eventually the conference decided, by an overwhelmingly majority, to sit in camera. As the result of the temper of the delegates it is probable' that a, public meeting of protest, called for to-night, will resolve itself into a purely local objection.

A COMMITTEE OF EXPERTS. INDIGNATION MEETING ABANDONED. WELLINGTON, July 24. The delegates at the conference to discuss the tramway regulations, appointed a committee of experts, comprising tramway managers from \arious parts of New Zealand, to report. The managers have been engaged all the afternoon and evening framing a report and up to 11.20 p.m. only a portion of the regulations had been dealt with by the experts. Their report so far as* it went, was adopted by the conference which then adjourned, leaving the experts a free hand to complete their reports. This will be accepted when finished and placed before the Minister of Public Works by a deputation to-morfow. An indignation meeting of the public was called for this evening, but did not take place. About 200 persons attended, but the delegates from other centres had decided this afternoon not to take part in the public meeting, and as the conference bad decided to hold its proceedings in private, it was considered advisable to cancel to-night’s meeting.