On This Day, 23 February 1917

Birmingham Mail

Friday 23 February 1917

LIGHTING OF BIRMINGHAM TRAMS

RUSSIAN’S COSTLY MISTAKE

Stan Zylberlast, engineer, 306, Birchfield Road, a Russian subject, was fined £5 by the magistrates in the Second Court of Birmingham Police to-day, for having removed a shade covering a light on a tramcar contrary to the Defence of the Realm Regulations.

Mr Minshull, for the Corporation, said at about 6.30p.m. on February 7 defendant was on the top of a tramcar proceeding along Newtown Row. He borrowed a knife and unscrewed the shade behind the light used for illuminating the number of the car. The screen directed the light onto the roof and prevented its rays penetrating the outer darkness.

Defendant, in the witness-box, said he was an engineer, and came to this country sixteen years ago. Leaving England in 1913 he returned three days before the declaration of war. The British Government later appealed for skilled engineers, and he obtained a position in Manchester as a chief designer. Afterwards he worked as a gunfitter, and then came to Birmingham to be a foreman in a factory. He knew that the Birmingham Tramway manager did not care a rap about what the public said, and thought it was time somebody drew attention to certain things. Defendant also complained of defective latches on tramcar doors. He wished to acknowledge the courtesy of Mr Minshull, who willingly gave him information he was refused elsewhere.

The Bench overruled an objection to the summons on the ground that the public are not subject to the Defence of the Realm Act in regard to lighting, but to the regulations issues by the Chief Constable.