CITY TRAMWAYS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 287, 28 August 1908, Page 7

CITY TRAMWAYS.

\ COMPREHENSIVE REPORT. A . VORKS IN HAND OR PROJECTED. V TOTAL COST—£III,BSB. In Juno last the City Council, on the motion \of Councillor Biss, instructed the Tramwayy and Electric Lighting Committee to reportHo tho council on the capital expenditure \which it was, anticipated would be necessaiy during tho ensuing twelve months, the report to show:—(1) The order in which tho\works should be undertaken, (2) the cost of\cach work, and (3) the committee's" propi'Salk for "raisilig'the necessary money. ..' \ . Tho committee's report has not yet been submitted, but a Very solid basis of information has been "prepared in the form of a report by the tramways ! and electrical engineer (Mr. Stuart RSshardson), on works in hand or projected, 1 witiQhoir estimated cost. Tho engineer's report ik as follows: — Vtforks and Estimated Cost. -\ £ ;£ ' Additions to rolling stpck-A Completion of.' 80 cars ...\ 3,738 Car motors :.; ... ' ... V 1,110 Two additional cars >- \2,000 6,848 Additions to i power-house \ / ■ plant— ' - :"' :r i Boilers, intake culvert. ' \ . discharge-pipes, . water- \ tank, etc/ ... ...• 5,770 750 P.W. engine set and \ boosters' "... • ... 10,23 a 16,007 island Bay feeder cable ... \ 1,590 Tliorndon paj-in office— ' \ Land • " ... ... 250 \ Building, .... ... ... 5,938 \ 6,188 3ar-shed, Thorndon Quay— -■■■'■_ \ Land .... .... ... 2,640 V Building .... ... ... 4,500- 7.140 Purchase ofv.Miramar tram- \' fray line within city bound- \ Bry— : > ■ '\. Two airnual payments' 2,105 Jonipenaation ■ for taking \ land at Winder's torner ... I,ooo' Car-shed, Land ' ... • 800 Building ... ... ... 5,830 6,630 Customhouse Quay extension ... ... ... ■ 6,500 Removal of earth—car-shed site . 1 ... 2,200 Constable Street extension ... • ... ... "' 20,000 liand at corner of South Road and Luxford Street 1,000 Lyell Bay / extension .' v . 4,000 Extension of Wallace Street . line to Adelaide Road ' 5,650 Extedsion 'to AVadestown 25,000 £111,858

Estimated funds .available . to meet this expenditure—. Balance of depreciation and new surplus moneys carried forward 1 , from . last year ... ... 3,009 Depreciation to be' set . aside for year to. March 31,1909 - v ;„ ; ... 13,500 Net surplus oh year's • . . , working to . March 31, 1909 . ,5,458 . . '21,967. Loan required to bo raised' as set .out' in above schedule ' ... 89,891 , £111,858 Electric. Lighting Works. The following "electric lighting works are on band as projected—: ' 1 Cost. -£. Stucco buildings ... 10,500 New'turbo and accMsories;, '."' • • 13,000 Metres, transformers,' extension of ; mains, and new . connections to • March 31, ,1909 ' ..V •; . 8,500 Suburbah lighting extensions ' 1,100 , Tbtal , ... £33,100

Points of th; 'Report. Tho car motors, for which £1110 is'assigned, are stated to be now in stock; and tho 80 cars were nearly completed at' the date of tho report. The construction of two additional cars will keep the council's carbuilding staff engaged. > The boilers, 5 intake culvert, discharge pipes, and water.taiiks for the power station are how in hand; the boosters have been 1 ordered,'and the engine set is immediately required. Thb work of the Island Bay feedfer cable is completed. Tenders will be called: immediately, for the building of the Thorndon Quay carshod. The carshed at Kilbiiiiie, estimated to cost £5830, will be required when the additional cars are built. Tho purchase of the site for £800 has been already agreed on. The extension of the line from Willis Street to the Post' Office' should bo proceeded with shortly. The junction is already provided. Tho engineer advises that the removal of spoil from the'carshed site at Newtown should be t'aken in hand this year, and the. Constable Street extension line next year. The land at the corner of Luxford Street- and South: Road should be acquired early next year, and the Lyell Bay extension should be taken in Hand when all arrangements are completed. The ongineer cannot report that .the extension of the Wallace Street lino to Adelaide Road should be made and- t|io . Wadestown- extension, ho : thinks' should only bo .considered; if the district agrees to a satisfactory guarantee. ! > When the Constable Street arid Lyell Bay extensions are carried out,' four more cars costing . £5000, will bo required. If the Wadestown tramway extension is undertaken, additional 'plant will have to be installed in the power house, and four additional cars provided, in.all some £15,000.

• Objeot of the Return. ' In moving for a return of these tramway profits, and also of other municipal- work's in hand or contemplated, Councillor" Biss said-he thought that, it. was time for .the council to considerwhat works of those under contemplation should be taken up first. ' If a complete list of these works were placed before councillors; he thought that they would consider tho programme quite impracticably large for the present. . Councillor '■ Biss 'reckoned that, it;would 'be neces'sarv to raisa £20,000 within the .next twelve months by debentures,. or. in . 'some other way for various tramway schemes. ' '