HUTT AND PETONE NOTES

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 651, 30 October 1909, Page 11

HUTT AND PETONE NOTES

' " (From Our Socclal Iteoorlor 1 - THE TRAMWAY SCHEME. / , - FOR MEETING RATEPAYERS. .. ..''The'Hutt,,yaUey Tramway Board mot last night'at:Petono, whoa the following■ membors v -'.were, presontMessrs.' J. W. -M'Ewan (in■ tho v;;- .chair); Hawthorn, .Einlay, Austin, R. Stovons, ■ , and Baldwin.-;, v■•■■■ -. • : - .Boroughs Council"protesting against: .tho proposed .acquisition by -tho board of tho" liutt Part.railway. 1 .; :; ; . -.'.':Jlr.'.M*i!w(iri :pbs6rycdH.hat it. was'regrettable that .the'-majority : ,o'f. mcmbort ; of. the Petone Council had 'looked' at 'tho ■ matter in that 1 light. , 'It -was-very, obvious .that 'thoi-TramWay Board , could', make, greater. ii6o:> df- tho" lmo than\ tho council'.could,-especially if the.latter'body ln0,- * r.tended^to:Tise!;the ; rililway carrying .; . ooal'-from.; the 'wharf. • Vays. tho«move ': beiz-disadTantageons. r'l'or.' one''thing'.it • , would prevent -the .-develbpment".of' Gear Island. i - V'. : : , i'Other v 'voicid'i.a' like'regret,': and- on was .resolved to ? ;ask .the council,.to reconsider the. matter;,- ; l Aported; (in regird to.tho depu.tation to,'the.'Prime;Minister)."that■ Sir' Joseph Ward Bad taken up'his usual cautious attitude . and'pro^yid:." to consider the matter"—in ■. iorie'^maE^;^that,:bf... , allOwjng; : >the .board- .to avail • themselves"of the ..proposed local -'bodies' ■ ■ .if. loans at 31 per cent. .- r .■-v . -v. . '.■fi ;• .'The Committee 'set up 'for .'the purposepre--' . : 'sehtid \ its Report-' in - regard .to -..the -. tramway '.scheme'. r'-.v " ' v ' - The report •first' summarised; the -powers'- conferred' on ithe boafd-bys'tho ■ Legislature."- These -we'rei--.(a). To' carry goods and passengers on trains p (b);:.to . carry ■ goods on- .vehicles - other than trains'j ;(o)' to make and 'supply electricity- . .for-various purposes/-subject "to tne consent of tho-local- bodies interested; >'(d) to extcnd'rthe v-jurisdiction of the Ward so' as to finally. cover'. .. ft'e'. whole! valley and. the'bays';on the .eastern - 'side of the harbour. -This-report outlines the first, instalment of the proposed system, and / the routes aro as follow: (1) From-Petone rail- . ; way station to Hutt Park;-(2) from tho corner 11 r. >of Cuba Street and Jackson Street, - via Victoria Street, Ahcotown, and along Main Hutt Road to' Park Avonue.Hutt; (3) from Petone railway station, .via Hutt Road; to Hutt station, and thonce to a junction with tho mam trunk at ■ Railway Hotel, Hutt r (4) from .Feist's Corner to White's: Line, passing Bellevue Gardens; (5) ■ from tho.junction tof the Main Hutt Road and ■ Waterloo Road to Waitako Street. "This estimate," ■■ the .report continued, "is based upon the most reliablo information obtainable, and Works■ out at JEBBSS per mile, 'which is consid; ;-'':--''.','.'ierahly>.-jnbre.''thah';.tne"cdst-''of ithe* Wanganui■ V 1 ;: service, ; which- was put-down for ''iE7SOQ per mile. Provision is made for electrical lighting ::.' / .' :and.-tho-erection :of' a tramway" bridge; across tho river ata.cost of J15000." This latter proposal, it is pointed out, will . save .a consider-' ' ' able"amount cost, ..besides. ensuring greater safety from accident. l ■; ii-.V.: . Turning ncxt -to costs, the .-report takes Mr. King's figures, for 111 miles, of. track, rwith the exception of interest, which,ms fixed ■ at l Si per -ccnc.,' and depreciation and sinking .-. fund at i per. cent.; These-expenses aro set: 'down at .£13,049. In regard-to revenue, tho ;report, states: 'The experience of Wanganui (where ' conditions are certainly not -more ■ favourable. than in the Hutt), is. that- 20s.' per head even" in' the .winter months is paid in - 'fares. Miramar ;is held up 'as an undesirable ■ example of a people embarking on a tramway, . enterprise before they were prepared, but even: • Mrramar' can show <•' results ■ tnat supply a splendid argument in favour of-' a tramway, system' fori'the Hutt," thore the expenditure ■• > on(car fares.was M 17s. 4d. per head. Taking . the expenditure at nead, the reyonua- : ' . would :amount: to :>614.000, with, additional estimated receipts-from the supply of electricity > ' for lighting and power purposes of >E335.: This would leave a credit balance of-X1296. ~' , . Should'.'theaboard siicceed'.ih.'obtaining'power; to; purchase-the ,Hutt'Park railway., lino, and it-is-desired/to proceed ,w.ith .the,.purchase, it : v: ; -would. b?'hocbsary,to-proVide for'-an-additionar - v, , 'lp'ai'' 'Tn'e':line,'-.it'is''hold, being con- •' ...nfebted -'withtho Government' railways,' should ■~ provo-of-.'grcat . service,-in : /,-the -future■ for,>the ; . cairiage: of : passcngers .aiid' goods. Also if tho ■ Harbbtir 'Board'ilaid. rails/Upon -the.-wharf, ;! the Tramway ■ Board vwould be able to convey goods v . '■ from 'the wharf' to any part.- of : the - tramway district and' whon'greater use is made of Hutt . ' Parle by athletic. bodies,-the' railway,' would bp a valuable adjunct on Saturdays .and; holidays. ■, •« the report • states that caro has been-'taken'.to-bo .on . the'safe., ,'sido. - in. tho estimates,.'and offers . to construct the trams , for-.less : than £80,000 have been received.. , i .itr. Anstin'thought that they should arrange . to .tfaeet the-Ratepayers' and, clear-away 1 some of tho v opposition :that had vbeen- displayod . at both ..councils.;,' Many people; werp -Under : the ; v misapprChehsion''that' tney . wduld"have -to pay ; 'i' a; rate .'if '-.the' trams ' were sanctiPned. , - This' was by no -means certairi/ for even if there wero a : :' loss of-.iEloflo, 'that sprcad.over : the.wholedis. - trict would .be a- mere, bagatelle. i- -~ ..; - -On the 'motioh.of-Mr.-Stevens, .Mr. M'Ewan and the .deputy-chairman (Mr. Hawthorn) were - thanked for their report. ; :. He 'suggested that; now it had been-prepared,-it should be printed i • and circnlated.-- --. 1 ■ - ;-..i Austin .then., moved that steps be taken ~ito.-meet't . the„rafepayerß,nt( P etonc-and Lower ~ v Hutt at. an earlv date,, in, order, that the whole echeme might;he placed before them v, : . iMr. VHawthorn said that they might-, have -.the: use of the Town Hall,■ Lower Hutt, free of oharge. 1 iTlie, motion was'• carried; ■ the . chairman and depnty-chairman undertaking .to 'make • arrangements

:■■••■'• "VThe: fire/brigade's ~\ of 'Lower, .Hutt,'.and Febone,' /./who "recently^ : . .carnival,'.met;a^iiin''la6t/;nigM::;in-StV^A\i'gua-' ;' tine's- HaUjr?etoneV]fof,;'the//purpose 'of '■} hold- . ;ing ; H'There : i^aß'.:'a:;g(»d:.''attend'-' ..- ahee ; ';o| ilirigadesnien. : 'from.-;bpth:.Petone , and .■/ al£o.';-a';:i'niimber;,:.veterans ;a'nd:eiT :^V--fiwine£:V'v' : Th9'|wnin^s/^enWtainment;'. : ';wa«' ;; /diyided^lie^eeiiV4aActngV:and;:'dii^iihpr6mp ; tn ;'vc6n(»rt^\tos-wWoK..the'.following contributed ■". ,:items:::iMessrs.?.G. : >,C6rby,'-' M. I/Man, 'Brboker, '•./; /And J.;,P01-' Y'-v)o^"Vite'/B>MteT;bt^cenm6nießi : v , o6ring''an'':iji>' ':" : -'■;-., presented 'by? Mr.' J.- , .W./'MJEwan;": (Mayor ;of ';.Petone).,^Tho'shield presented 'by; the' Licensed y// Victuallers jvasMianded to .the,. team-represent.. ■.;■'.- ine ..the'( Gear.. Comp'anyV Fire JBrigade. ■-.■>;■ ■

'■'rA-.Btart.baa'been'made,with:. the,plbugMnß;of. .No;:::.lf: i ; GTpnn^:'Peto^e:' ; -Eedreatio'n:,...Grburid, : ,wb!oh..is^ i tqibfl : ,.pl6ngied' ; and-1eve11ed....;.; ; .... : ; timevagb i two;, yo'ung;'men'- of vPetbne"' had. a 1 difference; of opinion--in ..the street, and, 'as',/a ■conseiinence/v-each-'ch'afged.'tise vother at ; formations-, were-dismu^d;,':but'.apparently .the .majter^isi.nbt'/tn'^ against::'one£bfithe;iparties'.-language:.. •..'• : V„'"rhis'i»boar,d :is ' a- purely -local ; body," '•• remarked ".Mr.":; J. /.Ty ; M/Ewan.' at' last. night's nwetog;of;itheputt:Walley "Tramway. Boards .• Jt ?has..'been:{setv,up. to' serve v the '.interest'.of' the ;wh6le;;district; and there" should be no .he \ : went i, pnv to:.'say;?• that. some, members of '■both;.B6rough:.Gouneils.!looked.'on.vthe .board as,:beihg,;set;np. tb'forward: the '/.interest 'of oho' ,::..,/■;';:■ ■; .-