KARORI TRAMWAY PROPOCALS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 571, 28 July 1909, Page 4

KARORI TRAMWAY PROPOCALS.

Sir, —Jiwl ono word moro In reply lo Mt, Catlno and "UnrwH'itili," /lofofo hit) M I writo is ft uireulnr datwl .fiiii'iuicy UII, IMiO, nddramod "to tlio ratepayers of th« Unroilgli of Kurori," and siped by "Chun, Cathie, J. 0. ltuino," and others, II begins! "Wo rospcotfully submit tho following loiisons why your vote should l>o minnM tlm proponed oleotrio tramway to cemetery." etc. .'Now thin sumo Air, (Jitthio find Mr. Italno'iunl their then friends, who so stoutly resisted the construction of the present lino, suy, "I laying, in spite of our opjioMtion, got your paying lino, It to very sollieh of yoii to opjxxK> our non-p/iyiiw wie," If tlio Itusm those gcnUohion told us wore amply sufficient then, with tlio poor roads of (fiat day. to servo tho needs of Kclburne, Northland, etc,, with their population of 8(100, surely in 1.(0), with our splen/ftd roadu, tlioy am mnplfi for tho needs of the 000 poople who live in Kurori beyond i) niton Street, Mr. Cathie says the interest, etc., oil tho part of tho iino pant the imi oflico will only ho £.'176 per milium. 'J'lint sum, ns usual, does not include the lons on running tho cars, which in always so conveniently forKotten, but it i» another MU7G in addition to tho hiK lout thufc a lino iwi far ns tho storo will entail, which is ns much ns tho borough cam afford in tho meantime, Hie lons on tho present buses, as Mr., Cathio lenowa. will soon bp met out of tho surplus from tlio prosont lino, tyut any further surpluses from tho present l lino cannot ho used ,to moot losses on the extended lino, us these surplusfics nro not Uio property of tho borough of Karon', although tho borough hn« an interest in tlicm.

; Mr, Cathio Bays tho now rato will only bo Ds. 2d, in the £100 of unimproved value, but again the loss or. running is discreetly ignored. Tho loss will be about 18s. in tho £100 value An addition of 18s. to 295. (present total' rates) (makes 475., a truly overwhelming burden for any body of rater 'payors to'face; Tho circular issued by Mr. Cathio in lOOClalso says that a "tramway must confine itself to its : own track," whilo ;buses can go up side streets, like Campbcjl Street, Beauchamp Street, 'delivering residents to thciri own doors." Docs not the same argument hold good.to-day? W'hy aro ;thoso gentlemen .who thought buses .good enough in 1906 so anxious to run a costly itramway: along 60_' chains of road, past tho Mohaghah Estate into a'part of the.borough' where there have, not been half a dozen houses built during, tho past half a'dozen •years?' ■.j'J-V'..'.-•',-,.'.•"'•''.■'■.'':■'• •'■.■'.<'.-. ■ • ;Wq. aro: also repeatedly told that tho council does not intend to borrow the money : at a greater rate than ; 4 j per cent., but once :wo give the- power, 'the member's are riot bound by any, former resolutions whatever. .The-poirompowers it 1 to.borrow at any.price )it."" likes.''- -'-'■ ..-'."•'"'.' * "--V-"-' :' .'■;'■'. ■ ■■■'' ''■'-{■•: . '' : :■'■'.. ' ■'

1 Let mo remind "Unselfish" that whole columns of "Dictator," who "speaks mighty 'badly," "turn dog," "foul play," etc., will not convince the Karori ratepayers that the proposals arc either equitable or just, or the least likely to pay. There is an axiom which says,'"when you have np case, blackguard your opponent."—l am, etc., ' RATEPAYER, Karori, July 27, 1909. \ , Sir,—Haying read 'all tho correspondence appearing in tho press on tho above subject, one is struck by the forcible and fair nay the'ratepayers who are opposed to the present scheme have dealt with the whole pro-, ject. and I do hopo all the ratcpayeis will 'study their own interest by throwing out the present proposal, and by doing so ,havo a chance of voting for a less expensive servico, and yet one that will servo Uie borough for many years to como. ' By doing so, 1 think we snail increase our population much more than by rushing into a scheme that will mako our borough too exponsivo to live in.—l am, etc. , , SANE PROGRESS. July 26. ' . |( Sir,—Before' "Unselfish" ventured, in his letter appearing in this morning's Dominion, to accuse coirespondents writing on .this matter of making false or misleading statements, he should have made quite sure that he was not himself transgressing in tho samo direction.

Ho said that it was evident, from speecheswhich the Mayor and councillors delivered at the statutory;meeting; that the matter had received "wise and full consideration .before it was placed before .the ratepayers," and ho says further that he learned that of. nine councillors seyeif, are in favourNcf the proposal! These statements are both not only misleading but inaccurate. '■■ .-The fact's' of .the, .case' are briefly, as follow:—When the resolution to take a- poll was moved, it was simply moved' in the terms in which it, is .now' being submitted to the ratepayers;• the estimates being' based on figures which had been :supplied,,to: the counoil a year or two before. No estimates or figures of any kind were adduced to show what revenue might be expected from, the running of the extended service, or what the working expenses.; might, be sxpeotod ..to' amount to, nor were any other-matters submitted which might; in any way justify the statement that the proposal had received the "wise p.nd full consideration" of the council. Information was not even obtained from the City Council as to'whether'"6r not the service would be run by, that body|.at the; present car mileage rate. . ; ;: v 'The speeches in support of the resolution which followed the. moving thereof. were as barren of'facts in this respect as was that of the mover. An amendment was moved to ■the.-effect that "the dobate should be ad : joufned to enable estimates and other .'data to be. placed oh the table, so that the matter could be considered from a financial as well as a sentimental point of view. .This amendment was supported by three council; lors, was defeated, and the original resolution was carried. . ' i '.- ' ■

The majority.of.the councillors were quite frankly candidly. averse , to discussing the financial aspect of the matter,' and the vote taken did ■ not prove tbat the councillors were in favour of the proposal,;but were in'favour of a poll being takeri : by thoiratepayers, which- is quite a different matter. It was said by sovoral speakers during l.lic debate that it was desirable that the. rata-' payors should have a voice in the matter,-so as. to disposo of it: once and,for alii; At tho statutory meeting'the Mayor did not, even suggest that the council recommended the ratepayers to vote in favour of the proposal. Has "Unselfish" ever heard of tho 'Tieam and the mote"? He should make: sure of his facts beforo\ rushing into print, and if ho will closely examine the'minute-book and ;other''council, records he will find that, whatever views councillors .may hold•■ as iratepayers on this subject, the council has not at any time recommended the ratepayers to' support the present proposal.—l am, etc., - ,;; A councillor. Karori, July, 27. " ; , v ■';..'