To the Editor of the "Normu-Curxa Darcy News"
Sm—It is quite evident that public interest in the plight of the rickshaw pullers, as aroused by the Massey Report, has not subsided. This is a5.
should be. The public evidently expects rickshaw pullers to be bene-fred as a result of the appointment of the Rickshaw Control Boar In submitting this letter it is not my wish to teke advantage of the prominence and size of this Rickshaw Control Board to throw squibs and aris. I recognize that they have an} extremely difficult task. They have to help a group that helpless and, in doing so, cross raping these suggestions, therefore, my wish is to help and not to hinder or merely indulge in criticism.
There is one question that I think the public night well face in a constructive way—"What do we expect the Rickshaw Control Board to 40?" Obviously, in asking such a question, is not necessary to imply that they must do all the public expects or do.
exactly in ways the latter deem advisable, Yet, the Rickshaw Control Board io irving to find a solu tion to a situation involving public Injustice and it is to be hoped that that aspect of the question will not be obscured by technical points or by the quite insultable objections of Facketeers, 'The first thing we expect of the Rickshaw Control Board or that 1 expect, anyhow—is that they' will five the rickshaw pullers a squarer deal. Thad, as a matter of fact! nearly said "a square deal" bul singe a rickshaw puller cannot get "square deal" until he gets out of such a Job, the best we can do is to give him a squarer deal while he is wending his way out of his position as the beast of burden which he ought not to be. I have to admit that I am a little surprised to. note that the first move of the Rickshaw Control Board 1s to provide the Sel-Hlement with modernized rickshaws That the many wobbly contraptions that now ply our streets should be discarded is obvious, but is a complete substitution of modernized Fickshaws for the old ones the frst Recessity? It would, it 1s true, make the rickshaw patrons more comfort: able but it will also furnish the riekshaw owners with an additional weapon against giving the rickshaw pullers more money for their gruelling toll. "That gruelling toll, by the way, will not be mitigated' by the use of modernized rickshaws.
Tt seems to me that the frst step to be taken by the Rickshaw Control Board is to ensure the rickshaw puller a better living than be can now get. That is, of course, the pur-ose of the Massey Report and requires that rentals of rickshaws reduced. It may also involve ensure ing that rickshaw hire is increased somewhat. Obviously, neither the patrons nor the owners are anxious for these innovations, Nevertheless.
venture to urge thai they are the first desiderata. When the Rick shaw Control Board has secured. for:
Fickshaw pullers a closer approxi motion to a more decent living,. the. ext step to be considered is their welfare. In some ways that is a much more involved question than that of ensuring them a real increase {in the pittance they receive for their toll, Now just what proposals the Rickshaw Control Board may put out with regard to the welfare of the Fiekshaw pullers, I do not know. 1 fam inclined to think, however, that when they éo make proposals, the ublic should be called on to" assist in some way. T should like to see Some sort of a scheme put forward that would call on rickshaw owners to invest their money and so prove the genuineness of their desire to im-
Now among other things, if we are going to have a scheme of welfare for rickshaw pullers that is fective, it would mean that we must Know where the rickshaw pullers aggregate so that the welfare agents
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.