JOTTINGS FROM WANGANUI.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1148, 8 June 1911, Page 8

JOTTINGS FROM WANGANUI.

(By Teleeraph.—Special Correspondent.! Wanganui, Juno 7. The tramway returns for May show that the number of passengers carried during the month was 120,334, as against 109,271 in the previous May. The revenue i'or the mouth was .£Si7—an increase of .ESI over the corresponding month last year. The Borough Council is considering the question of extending the tramway system to Upper Aramoho. A report by the tramway engineer on the subject is being gone into by tho Tramways Committee. The engineer estimates the cost of a mile and a half of extension at X 7300. The only engineering difficulty is tbo crossing of the railway line, the cost of which is not included in the estimate. This crossing will be the subject of negotiations with the Railway Department. The work of constructing the GonvilleCastlecliff tramway system is going on steadily. Tho engineer (Mr. R. Creagh), reporting to the Tramway Board, says that thirty chains of the track have been completed since the start on May IS, and an additional 'M chains were partly finished, while the heavy cutting near the Mosstown Road is well under way. The first shipment of rails is due from England in about a week, and, thereafter, they will come to band at regular intervals, so that there will bo no delay in laying them. At a meeting of the "Wanganui Borough Council last evening the Town Clerk submitted a report ro the proposal to build a new Town Hall, combined with aji Opera House., The present Municipal Theatre is beginning to provo too small for tho demands made upon it, while tho Council Chambers were erected thirty years ago, and are rapidly becoming out of date. The Town Clerk recommends a building to house all the council's departments, instead of having them in separate buildings, as now; also a' theatre to scat 1500. He suggests the leasing of tho present chambers for office purposes, and of tho present Opera House to picture companies. The cost of the new building he estimated at .£20,000. Tho report was referred to the Opera House Committee for consideration. The Gonvillo people arc somewhat persistent in their desire to link up their tramways with the borough system, via Ridgway Street, instead of Guyton Street, and last evening another large deputation waited on the Borough Council to endeavour to persuade it to change its mind. The council, however, declined to alter its decision on the matter, but. in view of the shorter route to town which Ridgway Street, would provide to a large, number of Gonvillo people, it was agreed lo refer the matter of extending that, street for vehicular traffic to a special committee.