WADESTOWN TRAMS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 534, 15 June 1909, Page 9

WADESTOWN TRAMS.

Sir,—Mr. Wells Newton's' letter, re above, in your Saturday's issue, proves how misleading it is to base broad conclusions on necessarily "limited nowspaper The Wadestown'deputation did not make an appeal to tho City Council on-the grounds of a 60 or 60ft. rise or fall of Goldie's Brae from the Wadestown tram route, but on the general ground tnat, when wo all worked together for amalgamation,; it was on the expressed understanding _ that the tram should be a common liability.. It was after our representations had been made that Councillor ShirtclifEe asked the Mayor's permission to read a Goldie's Brae' letter, wherein the statement appeared, that ,in order to reach the Wadestown route, Goldie's Brasns would have to climb 300 or more feet) and Councillor Shirtcliffo' then .turned and asked me if this wore correct. I replied, as the result of a rough mental calculation, 50 or 60ft., meaning, of course, the elevation.,- Mr. Newton starts at 75ft., and . I sm quite willing to concede up to 100 ft., whatever it is worth, but no representations of ours ware based on the statement.

As a matter of ■ fact, in addressing the committee, I had expressed the opinion that residents below the upper Goldie's Brae Road might justly be exempted from liability. When, however, : it is borne in mind. that 300 ft. (about) is the elevation of Mrs, Rhodes's'. house from tho Thorndon tram lerel, the exaggeration of "tho letter is apparent. Whether accidental or intentional is immaterial. The fact 'remains, that no representations of ours were founded upon niy answer to it, nor do we, for ono moment, wish to do Goldie's Brae residents an injustice. This does not, however, constitute any.good reason why wo should suffer one from them. Granted that the upper Goldie's Brae Road is 100 ft. below Wadestown tram route, there are still 200 ft. to ac!count for between <this and Thorndon Quay, leaving the simple proposition—Which is the most "benefit" 'derived ■•'from, the 'tram which takes you' up a hill 'and leaves '' you to do an easy, walk of 75ft. or so downward, or that which takes you to the foot of a hill; .and leaves you a.hard climb of 200 ft. upward?, It is not, however, with Goldie's Urae that we a.re greatly concerned, but with Highland, Park, a largo portion of the exempted area of. which cannot even afford the redeeming feature of an appreciable climb downward, being on an eaey grade from the. tram.route, and. is bard to be ac--1 'counted for, except as one of those strange bits, of good fortune which so often fall to the lot of the already fortunate.; .

-With the suggestion' of Mr. Newton, (who is, by the way,' an engineer) as to alternativo route, \| most heartily agree, nor is tho agreement confined to tho two of us. If the Goldie's Brae route .were taken, it might cost £5000 or more to construot than the: original Main Road scheme (£23,000),. or it might cost even as much as the Saunders Lane scheme, but it would be revenueproducing the whole way, and for ever, and would take in all the available rating areaf This-would more than compensate for the difference in cost, and, ,in all probability, leavo a good margin, while tho-times occupied' would-be .practically'the same.-.'There can be no doubt. as , to. tho: engineering ad. vantages of the Saunders Lane route, in view : of, such. an opinion as Mr. Iforton's, nor of_ the ability displayed over the Main Road idea, but Saunder's Lane is no good to us, and the best estimate, as to sale, of its spare land, shows a l deficit- of £2000; add to this nearly half-a-mile of construction and maintenance through Town Belt, with "never a penny" of. revenue from, it, and the result is that there are things nioro attractive-, to .contemplate. It means half the sum of our expenditure now, and a nonproductive length of line, in the future. It may bo that the Goldio's Brao route in .not so good an engineering one as the other proposal, but it is, on tho faoe of it, likely to be an infinitely bettor profit-earning ono, which is a vastly more important matter, and might fairly relievo us of this miserablo , sense of injustice over rating areas. It was •novor thought that Sattnders Lnne would be cast upon our shoulders in such a manner, but, apart from this, we feel that in , a matter sn_ important, involving such great responsibilities of a permanent character, wo ought, at least, : to be given the privilege of.alternative proposals when there are two routes, for each of which much that is favourable can be claimed, —I am, etc., ", : G. CARWELL COOKE. June 7.' . • • ... .