Street Tramway.

Auckland Star, Volume VI, Issue 1669, 24 June 1875, Page 2

Street Tramway.

TO THE EDITORS OB1 THE e/eNIKG STAR.

PRELIMINARY EXPLANATION. Dkar Sirs,— Permit me a few lines in your columns to explain my connection with what you very properly term a "Star Chamber" investigation- (I like that term " Star Chamber," as we say " it means a heap.") It appears some of your Council men knew that for years past I had resided in San Francisco, taking some part in public affairs there, and consequently interviewed me on my knowledge of street railways with us. After giving them all the information I coutd, I was asked if I had any objections to meet

the Council a3 a body and give them wh.it information I could on the subject. Inter-

viewing being quite an institution with us, of course I consented, and, in response to a

very kind invitation from your very courteous Town Clerk, at 3 p.m., last Tuesday, I was on hand at the Council Chambers, ready for

any infliction, even though it were street railways. One of the members, evidently sympathising with my forlorn appearance, very considerately suggested the propriety of those irrepressible public tormentors (reporters) withdrawing. (I assure you that was the only reason for that most extraordinary course ; if there was any other reason my innocent heart could not for a moment comprehend it). The hint being given, it was taker, oh, so quickly ; for I never saw young men so agile in my life, and immediately the back of the last of those dreaded beings disappeared round the door, we began. (By the way,l heard that they adjourned into the Mayor's room, and completely nsed up all that worthy's liquid refreshments.)

STREET TRAMWAYS IN SAN FRANCISCO.

I was asked if we had street tramways in San Francisco ? What streets they ran on, how they were laid, the speed the cars travelled at, the kind of car used and what they carried, the distance they ran, the price charged, the restrictions they were under, the concessions granted, their effect oa city and country property, the grade they travelled on and many other questions. I simply told them we had no tramways in the cifcy—they were regular street railways, laid down in the middle of the streets—steel T rail being exclusively used, generally double lines, the rails being wide enough apart to allow an ordinary wagon to travel between, and laid flush with the street so as not to impede ordinary wagon travel, that they were laid on nearly every main street in San Francisco, more especially on thoße most frequeDted by pedestrians, and those mostly occupied by retail stores, that the main and indeed the only object being the affording suburban people an easy and rapid transit to the city, and city people vice versa, no lines are allowed in the city unless they ran a long distance into the suburbs,. that the distances vary from four to fifteen miles, the price being uniform, five cents on all lines.

CONSTRUCTION OF THE CARS, SPEED,

ETC. -

Now, on all the lines, the cars used wero of a light construction ; six men could lift them, capable of carrying twelve to sixteen passengers, drawn by one horse at a rate of from six to eight miles an hour. No shafts or pole used, but simply traces, and so arranged that in a second the' driver can disconnect horse from car, and at the same time put on the breaks, that a car can by use of a patent break now used there be stopped in a space not to exceed six feet, even going down a bill, that fhe breaks are so arranged tha* in a second the wheels are lifted bodily from the track, <md the car is supported by a long boot which fits on the rail, thus ensuring stoppage instantaneously, and precluding the possibility of any collision. That in ten years not five accidents from street cars had happened in San Francisco, though there were upwards of three hundred used m the city. The cars are continually on the move, stopping only to enable passengers to get in or out, which is vtfry easily accomplished from the fact that the car is onjy about nfteen inches from the ground, and one step is mc-dj making it but two steps to get into a car, each step about eight inches high. BENEFITS AKISING FROM

TRAMWAYS

They are looked upon with us as a great benefit, increasing retail business in the city from ■ thirty to fifty per cent from the fact that the amount of travelling between city and suburbs is increased a thousand-fold, and whilst, to a certain extent, city traffic may be and is discommoded sometimes, the great benefits received and enjoyed, by city tradespeople, &c, completely overshadow such inconveniences. AUCKLAND HILLS" NO OBSTACLE. As to ascending and descending hills, I simply said that, compared with San Francisco, Auchland was a very level place, and you had no hills here as steep as soma hills there now traversed by a street railway. I was asked how the cars were got around corners of streets ? I replied, in the same manner as they went along, the streets-on their wheels ; but then you see, sir, the hon. member was only poking fun at me. Of couree our City Council, or supervisors, as we call them, not having been advanced far ,enough in legislation as to understand the art of spending the people's money in paying large salaries to a few favoured individuals, to carry on undertakings "and make experiments that belong only to private enterprise, I could only say, in reply to a question, that the city Corporation never dabbled in street railways, water, gas, or any such business, but left all that to the private business enterprise of her citizens, but at the same time gave every facility and proper inducement to encourage such enterprise. For instance, she gave the exclusive franchise to run a railway over certain streets and between certain points for, say 20 or £> years, and protected such enterprise by serviceable and just legislation; at the same time bound all such companies to a strict performance of their contract, and the observance of all prerequisites required by the city authorities.

WILL THEY PAY ?

Our experience has uniformly been that wherever any line of street cars run into the , suburbs, property increased in value at a great rate, and the reasons are obvious ; for among others the fact that easy, quick, and cheap transit enable thousands to own and occupy their little homes in the suburbs, that without the cars could not do so under any circumstances whatever. Of course the oars are used for passengers ODly, no freight being allowed on them. Whether they will pay here is another question, best, answered by your own enterprising men;. but that they pay in San Francisco immerjsely is a universally acknowledged fact, and whilst it may be said that we have some 200,000 inhabitants in San Francisco it must not be forgot that we have to-day over twenty paying lines of cars in that city, whereas oae is sufficient here, ■ and ours run every two to five minutes, thereby requiring an increased number of horses, men, and rolling-stock, whilst yours, if run every fifteen or twenty miuutes, would be all-sufficient for the time being. The fact is, in San Francisco, street-cars are .looked on as^ the greatest blessing we have; and the cry is. It and always has been, the more the merrtf so much so that one portion of the suburlj although having one line -of cars running % to the" city (takiDg some thirty minutea^v' make the trip), the property owners raisefl and paid over to another company, wllO offered to make the trip in fifteen minutes, the sum of $80,000 aa a subsidy, besides giving the Company a franchise for thirty years. I refer to the Clay-street line. kV

CLOSING EEMAEKS. Bnt, Mr Editor, in closing—whether it 13 street railway or no street railway, I do trust that whatever information is sought for in the future will be open and above board, for God preserve Auckland from what is always a enrse in legislation, ".-tar Chamber Conclaves," for I think the motto should ever l)e that v hat is not fit for the people to know is not worth knowing at all. Of course there -was a great deal more took place, but simply general information on the subject. Whilst hasty action in such matters ought generally to be deprecated, I do trust that iv the consideration of this question no prejudices against the undertaking will be indulged in simply because it happens to be an American idea. As the place of my birth, Ido hope that Aucklanders will be ever ready to take advantage of progressive ideas, even though they be the production of the irrepressible Yankee. Wishing every success to the future of Auckland, I am, yours, &c, W. E. Tukner.