The Evening Star. WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News and the Morning News. FRIDAY, JUNE 25, 1875.

Auckland Star, Volume VI, Issue 1670, 25 June 1875, Page 2

The Evening Star. WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News and the Morning News.

FRIDAY, JUNE 25, 1875.

For tha cause that lacks assistance, For the wrong that needs resistance^ (for the f-ture In the ilisuuico. A_d th« _«od that no can de.

We revert to the valuable and interesting letter in our yesterday's issue on Btreet railways, contributed by Mr W. E. Turner. The two obstacles that, we believe, have presented themselves to the minds of citizens in considering this subject have been the nilly nature of the location of our city, and the impediment to ordinary tiaffic, in the lines of iron rails running up and down the streets. Barring these, we do not know of any objection that has been or could with any show of reason be raised. That vested interests in cabs and 'busses should protest is of course to be expected ; but happily the spirit of the age has come to give scant courtesy to such considerations when the public welfare is concerned. To railways, machinery, and every innovation—not excepting even girl-printing — the same objection is ever raised ; and we do not doubt that as in these cases, the interests of the owners of horseflesh and vehicles would be found ultimately benefitted and extended by thcadopti.on in our city and suburbs, of the system of street railway cars. But the two main popular objections to the Bystem are effectually laid by the testimony of experience afforded by Mr Turner. The Sydney experiment in this line has been an admitted failure, mainly from the obstruction which its Pitt-street tramway caused to the transit of cabs and drays. But the possibility of rails flush with the roadway, giving a minimum, if at all an appreciable amount, of inconvenijnce to ordinary traffic, and the fact of gradients far steeper than anything in the streets of Auckland constituting no difficulty whatever, have been established by that best of all arguments the logic of facts, and the testimony of experience. And these difficulties laid, it is impossible to overestimate the sanitary and social advantages which such cheap suburban conveyance would confer on our citizens, and especially those of the poorer classes who are couped up in crowded and unhealthy dwellings, at, to them, oppressive rents. In San Francisco it appears that the unjform rate of two pence halfpenny will give conveyance for a distance Of fifteen miles. Supposing that places on the Great North Road by Mount Albert, the Whau, etc., and in the direction of Onehunga, Otahuhu, etc., to the distance of four or five miles,j were connected by such easy and luxurious carriages with the centre of our city, and at such a nominal fare, what a boon to the people! It is at present not, the cost so much as the inconvenience of bus travelling that deters customere, and •prevents the extension of residence to the suburbs - and with frequency of trips, low fares, and above all airy roomy cars, the distance of several miles from the city would not be a matter of consideration to the very poorest of the people, as compared with the advantages in economy, health, and converjimces of residence. We very cordially hope that the Council will act, and act with promptitude. We are informed ph^.jvl^.e every care and caption should be i

taken, if no unnecessary delays on the part of our own authorities intervene, the cars might be. running within six months; and whether a local company is formed or whether Mr. Turner introduce, as he is prepared to. do, a Californian Company with'their cars and rules and system complete, we hope that our system will be carefully moulded on that which has been tried and found so effective on the other side of the Pacific. We believe it was adherence in Sydney to the old and heavy system which commends itself to English experiences and predilections, that made the JSew South Wales experiment a failure. Let our Council now import an idea from the Americans, and let the patent breaks, and the steel rails and the light and handy and commodious cars be shown to be as suitable for John Bull as thfey are admitted to be for brother Jonathan.