UPLAND ROAD TRAMS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 838, 9 June 1910, Page 3

UPLAND ROAD TRAMS.

KARORI OPlNlONcouncil REJECTS PROPOSAL. ' MANY DIFFICULTIES. A special meeting of tho Karori Borough Council was held last evening for the purpose of considering a notice of motion regarding the proposal to construct a tramway from tho Baker's Hill tunnel along Upland Road to connect with the Kelburnc cable tramway. There were present: The Mayor (Mr. C. I. Dasent), Councillors Cathie, Wedde, Burn, Spiers, Walmsley, Stauden, Welling and Hildreth. Councillor Wedde moved, in accordance with notico given:— That with a view to a poll of ratepayers now liable for the tramway and road-widening loan (that is, tho old borough of • Karori) being taken to raise a loan for the purposo of laying a tramway across lielburno from tho power-house across tho viaduct, a special committee be set up to confer with the Wellington City Council and all the other necessary bodies or companies for tho purpose of obtaining their approval and co-operation in tho carrying out' of the same. Councillor Cathie seconded, pro forma. Councillor Burn asked whether the council had a legal right to construct a tramway along Kelburne. "If no legal right exists," he said, "we might as well sit on this straight away." The Mayor on the Financial Aspect. The Mayor remarked that the mover of the resolution had not given the council a great deal of information, but ho (the speaker) would endeavour to enlighten tho council ou the financial aspect of tho proposal. There were many difficulties in the way. The scheme had been discussed in the council six months previously, and it was rejected. A committee had been set up, however, to interview the City Council on the general proposal to shorten the route, and tho committee urged that the line should bo taken down Sydney Street, or that a similar shortening should be effected by tunnel from Tinakori Road. The City Council had not yet replied to the representations made, and he (the Mayor), although not at liberty to make known the details, could say that negotiations with tho Government would shortly reach finality. The hargain, he believed, would be a fairly good one for tho city, and it would also henefit the Karori people. If that scheme were allowed to go ahead it would mean the rescinding of a resolution already passed by the Borough Council, and the throwing out of the present scheme. The Mayor said that he could see no method by which a poll could be taken over tho area mentioned in the resolution. Even if power existed for the taking of a poll of residents of Northland and Karori, special rolls would havo to bo prepared. The difficulty might bo got over if ! the City Council acted in conjunction with the Karori Council. It might be- taken for granted that when tho special roll was .Irawn up exempuon would be applied for by a large number of Northland people and others who did not feel any need for a better route. It was not as if the district had no tram service at all, and many people wero satisfied with the present haulage conveniences. Tho whole of the lower portion of the borough would apply for exemption. Tho poll would, of course, bo taken of owners who were uot granted exemption, and a farthing rate on ,£500,000 would moan a halfpenny rate on ,£250,000. The present ownership could not be repeated for this proposed line.

Profits Tied Up. While the proposal, if carried, might produce a profitable line, the profits would have.to be allotted to the upkeep and running expenses, to interest at 5i per cent., and to sinking fund (1 per .cent.). No profits could be placed into the general fund of the borough. Tho proposed- lino would probably not bo more profitable than any other half-mile of line, and the owners of the old lino would still have to pay their charges, and they, apart from the Northland people, would have to' bear any. losses on the running of the new line. 'The present line carried, roughly) 750,000 passengers per year, and if 400,000 went via Kclburue, and 350,000 still travelled by the old route, the old line must run at a loss, and the profits on the now line could not bo used to make up the deficiency. The proposal would mean that anything up to two-thirds of the traffic of the old line would be taken away. Tho loss would fall on Karori alone, because the Northland people could not be rated for more than eleventhirtieths of the sum required yearly to meet interest and sinking fund. Losses had to be borne by the general funds, while the profits of the branch line would remain in the books of the line until the whole of the liabilities had been cleared —a generation hence. The ratine; power of the borough was limited by law, and the council reached nearly to the limit in their estimates. They had just entered upon tho laying down of one and a half miles of line, losses on which would have to bo paid from the general rate for some years to come. Councillors had an idea that they would be getting a quick line, orowded cars, and a profit, but the scheme would not do any good to the finances of the borough outside of the proposed line. Tho other idea that the _ work would bo undertaken by the Karori Borough itself should not be entertained by the council, because that was a power which they did not and could not possess without a special Act of Parliament, and he did not think that any proper grounds could be shown to tho House to warrant- it in changing the law on the subject. It was a'popular impression that all that wasrequired was the consent of the citv. That was not the point at all. The council had no liberty to borrow money for tho prosoculion of works in another district. One of the savings which it was claimed would lie made, in addition to a shorter route and a smaller fare, was that tho service on the present first section from the Gardens to tho Tunnel would be cut down. The Ordcr-iri-Council which governed that line, however, required thai cars should leave either terminus not less than every 30 minutes, and he was advised that the Ordcr-in-Conncil could only be varied if application were made upon better reasons than could be shown in the present case.

Is the Line Required? Further, tho council had no evidence before th«n that the linu was required by the people of the districts mentioned, and a largo number of residents had Spoken to him, expressing their disapproval of the scheme. He thought that a very; suitable time for 'lealinj.' with, the proposal would' be when councillors and he caino before the ratepayers at the next election. He had been advised by the borough solicitor that the Karor'i Council could not act alone. A Councillor: "Defer It." Councillor Cathie remarked that he would bo glad to sec the proposal carried out, and ho would like to sec every reasonable means used to get the difficulties removed. There was an almost insurmountable difficulty in the mere existence of the present unwioldly line, and the problem could only bo solved if amicable arrangements wero made with Northland people. It had to bo considered that the promise of a subsidy by tho Kolburne and Karori (Cable) Tramway Company, Ltd., meant that a good proportion af the interest was assured for five years. Tie was not prepared to support, the proposal at present, but would bo glad to consider it again, say, in six months' time. It was a wild statement to make that the present tramway below the tunnel could be stopped. Discussion on the Law. Councillor Weddc, in reply, remarked Hint, if Ihe new route was to run at a. pioiit, the old service would have to be changed. Why could it not be altered:'' he asked. The Mayor: Because it belongs lo other people. Councillor Weddo: T beg to differ. The Mayor: 1 am giving the opinion of tho borough solicitors,

Councillor Wedde expressed surprise at tho contention that, even if there were a surplus of .£SOO, it must be used for the providing'of a pinking fund, and for (he repaying of a loan which was not thie for L's years. The whole thins*, ' n ''' 5 opinion, was ridiculous. The Mayor: That is the opinion of our solicitors.

Councillor Wedtle urged that, if the lower section of the present tram line was not carrying any" passengers, it was absurd to contend that there would bo difficulties in getting the Order-in-Coun-cil cancelled.

Tho Mayor: You have no power to say that you will not run the trams.

Councillor Wedde: Haven't we? We'll see about that.

In conclusion. Councillor Wedde declared that the only possible objections were as to the method of procedure, not to the proposed route itself. He had been waited upon by a great number of people, both Northland and Karori residents, who were anxious that the new route should be adopted, ami a ito""' had been made that a meeting be held in Northland as soon as pLssibii\ Assuming that traffic on the lower line could be discontinued, so that there would bo no loss on the running, that the profits of the proposed Kelburne line could be placed in the general fund, and that the co-operation of the City Council and tho Northland people was obtained, the scheme should certainly be pushed forward, inasmuch as tho Karori people had met and unanimously voted in favour of the quicker route. The Mayor: The Northland peoplo and the City Council do not administer tho law under which municipal bodies are worked.

The motion proposed by Councillor Wedde was lost by 5 votes to i.