WADESTOWN TRAMS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 639, 16 October 1909, Page 13

WADESTOWN TRAMS.

ASSESSMENT COURT PROCEEDINGS. TO'THi; SPECIAL ROLL.. . A special,sitting of the Assessment Court was held at tho Magistrate's Court yesterday, Dr, A. .S.M.r:presiding, for'the purpose of hearing objections to tho inclusion of names of ratepayers in .the special roll for tho Wade's-, town tramway loan. ; . -Mr. C. P. Skerrott, K.C., and Mr. J. O'Shca, City Solicitor, appeared for the Cily Corpbr'aito'n, and Messrs'. Martin Ltioklo, P. J. O'Rogan, Dean, and,Moorhous?,,for objectors. . .Counsel agreed.to toko certain objections together, evidence '.submitted to bo used in any particular case. . \ -.■• .Mr. l/uckio remarked that this was another phase of the proceedings token six months ago when it- was'proposed-.to take the tramway up the Wadcstown Road. Thb Goldio's Brno, portion was sinco; taken out,, and it was then found that the rate would liavo to. bo much hißher'' than anticipated. In consequence of this, the City Council, had had to adopt another proposal.- iTho point'was that no distinction' had.been made-between those portions of Oio tramway special districtwhich were, aud which were not,.goine-to benelit from tho construction of the line. Tho council had merely taken the south ward of the:old Borough of Onslow, and made it the-rating area... For tho Work the council bad r to'strike a rate on .£36,000 at.s per cent.; which would come to 3Jd. in the £, and this rato wbitld'decreasb the value of land' in tho special-district. The decision to lay trams was merely^to satisfy the popular cry,' and to.suit'AVadestown residents, and the City Council, knew ;that not- only would thb rate havo to" bo paid, but for,some yean to corrto an annual loss of JXOOO would have' to be met. This loss, it was-suggested, would havo to,bo borne by the city, which, however, had no voice.in the expenditure,of the money. At the statutory:,publio,,moeting a councillor had said 1 that, ; 'aS soon as;the.line was completed, steps, would havo to bo takon by the council to take it :over and either have ;t included'in tho general rating.area, or a vote should - '.be.mnde;by the council towards the deficiency.'...'' ;: ; ,:.'•'-:- '.'.' ."■ Mr'.. ; Skcrrettt' 1 submit that this. is not within: the. province of your Worship; . ; 'Dr. M'Arthurs I am-not concerned with questions of policy..-'- ;.■■:. '■'■ Mr.-Luoklei, I Want to point out the fallacy of ■' thq: representations made ;at the statutory, :public meoting.' ./-.-'!:'.■ I; Kdwartl Bull, onn of the ratepayers in the 'special area, said that he used the Thorndon Qtiny service, which he'could reach in a minute and r three-qiiarters.,lf the,line was put down, lit woiild takehimtwko as long to reach tho Government Station.;' It was unfair to charge Goldio's Brae people for-a; line they did not want. If the Wadestown people wanted the line,' they should'pay for it; Tho lino would not .enhance the ■ Value, of land, but on the contrary it would go-down.; .v ' -';. .-.■:.'.'■'■'.' To. Mr.'Skerrbtti.'.He.wosjpbsitive that no meeting' of Goldio's Brace' residents was in favour of the rate.' What was decided was that, If it' had to go through Goldie's Brae,' they were'to-avoid;-the consequences as best they could,;<;,:;;. /."••.■■":-.;-;'::■;■ -':k^v : - '■■''■ . \-.---"■'■■ Mr..Skerretti'Do' yon,, as'a' sensible" man, deny'that it is a benefit to your property to have .two .rfcute's;.of tramline/equally- convenient?-.;';;.. •:-''i.:.t:;:- y -.''.-;'..;::,; i -;.'..',i >;\:m->. : Witness: I do not admit that it wonld be a benefit. •Wo cannot .afford ,to: have two strings to our bow.'. -•'; : , : ' : ( . : 'Mr.'.Luckiei.ls it .worth it'when you have'to pay'an extra 3W; in the £?: .'.,■. . .<■■... .Witness': No,';.--,:-.v--- ~■?;: ~. / ~',' . .-'Joseph Godfrey Holdswbrth,' a land valuer, stated thatif the line hod any'effect at all it would bo to depreciate rather than appreciate tho'Volue of-property,• 'The tlniewas not-ripe for an increase in rates. ' '--■~ . :■,:■:■:. : -To.Mr.'.Skefr'ett: The rates would'be so high that they -would interforo: with progress. for years tb come;;,f* :- < ; ; .--;-- r-^; >'.':,., ;;:; ■;.'■-. ■;.. ~:,L eonard:Stowe'nlso,.gave.evidence..d:Stowe'nlso,.gave.evidence.. ;,. ,''"; '' W. Brice .didv' v not-con«idor''thß 'line, would benefit' him; but -it woiild increase .his rates ,from At) to, £U, inlthough it would''deprebiate the valno.of his,property,;,, ",:;,V, -, Mr. ; Skerrott addressed -.the. Court at.-,' some length,:and pointed out that the area :rated must necessarily;be-a latge one, and somo -por- -l tibnd-of it must; be rated, although they did.- 1 not benefit directly jiist now,,but;they would ■ later. The working expenses of, the.lino Would ,bo a-chargo.on (the, general'revenue.of,the'city, and liot "On'tlib"^ebplo,'of Wadcstown.: i.Nearly fore'immediately contlguotis to'thb tramT'jThc: tram-was-going to be a-great, convenience to the objectors, and consequently/there was no reason why;th'fey.shbnld not be,included in'the special ''area.. The Goldie's Brais "people, he: took itrhadj.bined"iin. 'amalgamatingrWadestbwn withkthe, city' with'; the' idea'-of; getting ..the tramway."-Takirig a broad view of the question, the.City Council submitted .that'.the whole of the properties should:' beinbluded. '-.- ■-':F. :;Martin,... Government : Valuer,, gave,par'tioulbrs; of .certain/.distances',-in reference ;to Mr. Bulllb.;property.;,'. Ho considered the advantage of v time;-distarice,''and ;grade was ;in favour of .the train route. ,• .There would be.'appreoiatiori: of value in the Wadestown -.. properties and also in: Goldle r s Brae property; but not;in : the's'amb:ratio'/,'-:.;':'.;;''':: .-.-• Tov'Mr. ''Luckie: would ; increase the" Value of. the Goldie's,Brae properties,. 'as the expenditure'.of,publio money in any-quar-ter-must. do. It.would make the land mors thb; city.; V ,-":;■ ■';■;}",v; '?■':': :;r;'"ir :--.W;; H..;.'ltortoh,'''''Citj ,, ',EngincerV said:' that the''approximatorlength' of : line was 97, v'chnins. '.'Although; .he'dio. not- know; what thb council would do he ■ wotild'. suggest t.hat tho lino; should to, divided, into two sections, one from':,theiGbvernment Buildines to Goldib*s ;Brae; th6,:corper,.of> Watt'and Rhodes .Street, and "the 'other ion '.to.i the-end of'the line.: ::' '"."Under brosSrexamination,;Mr;Morton said'ho understood 'that-the;line -would' cost £30,000, and the loan'proposed was '■ £33,(00. '■■ The esti-; mated loss for ; thb:first y«qr.;was about ,£2OOO. He uhderstood that. the Service ivould probably :bo > a .-quarter-hour, service at'rush times.;;''';:'' j ','-.;. i . : :. ; .v.: : ':v, .-.■.;..;.. : '.James"Ames;, City Valuer, did not consider that', any of -'the objectors should be'exempt. from thbi.roll'.H The new lino would 'increase tho value -of,?the ••properties.';".'• It;-,woiild siir:prise him'tpijlearri ■that"sbmb'.pcolpb'-ha'd{-dc-oidfld- tO';ltave ; ,'Goldic's Brae, because..of.:the oxtra burden entailed.% tho;,new rate.,: V ' ■ Evidence'.(was also' giveii .by Geo.- '.Carwell ;Cook,'H.G; Barnett, E. Wylie:,and C. Reeves. 1 was"-granted in the'eases of several ; bbjectqrs,: jnfiluding; those;; of iJ.i'j'Vilson, Mrs.vWoodwiird .(or. Woods), Mrs.'.Prootf.T, -Mrs. Wood; .Mrs; Pnfnani,. and several sections,: belonging .to 'the Rhodes Estate,tw'hilst : decision •was reMtyed'.untii; Friday next-'inibther, cases. ,'; ,The ■. Court adjourned Until' 9,30 .this - morning.' ;:■;;■; : ' } : -■ '■■"■ ■-'.'';: '■'