TIRED OF CLIMBING.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1215, 25 August 1911, Page 2

TIRED OF CLIMBING.

■ $ TERRACE LIFT. THE AGITATION RENEWED. The. adverse report of the City Engineer (Mr. VV. H. Morton! en the. proposal-for a passenger-lift from Church Street to theTerrace has not depressed the promoters of the, scheme, and last evening, lira «■.! I)V Mr. J. Hutcheson, a.small deputation waited upon the City Council and reopened the qui-stiua. Mr. Hutchison remarked that, in his report, the City Engineer had stated that "there, were no engineering difficulties in the way," and that the success of tho scheme would depend upon the financial results obtainable. The latter contingency apparently was the main determining factor, and, with regard to that, he ventured to say that the engineers' estimate of 2io passengers was absurdly low. He quite agreed -ihat estimates in such proposals snould have, a conservative basis, but their own estimate, also a conservative one, placed the figure at 750. They had taken into account, as a sentimental consideration, ■ two human instincts—tho homing instinct, which led a nan lo get homo hy the straifjhlcst road, and the lift habit, which, once acquired, grow upon a community. Ho put this proposition: If the residents-of a small mo. restricted community consisting of fewer than 100 ratepayers were wuling to bo rated for interts: and sinking t'und security in connection with this scheme —tho petition was signed by 75 per cent, of tne residents of that district, and these 7ft per cent, represented about 50 per cent, of the value of the property there—then he thought that the way wan cletu. lit felt certain, from the new he took of the prospects of the scheme, that they would never be called on to pay. The .Mayor (Mr. T. M. Wilford), in replying to" the deputation, remarked by way of preface, Uiat he- would rathtr resign his seat on the council than allow a section of tho commnnity to cany out a scheme such as this. It must be a iiiunicip.il undertaking, or none at all. Tho difficulty he saw in the proposition new submitted by the deputation was thai of the indemnity for loys on working expenses. There was no provision ui law whereby the council could be so indemnified. . There was, further, no right, in law, to charge fares on an elevator, as it was not a public work within tho meaning of the Act. Tho law might allow them io construct an elevator, and vest the power to charge fares as for •ferries and bridges, but there was still tho question of indemnifying the scheme against loss. itr. Hutcheson drew tho Mayor's attention to tne lact that, the Wadcstown traimyay was an analogous case. Tho council was under no obligation to run. that line. Tho Mayor: Well, suppose that interest and sinking fund aro guaranteed, will "on not also demand that tho lift shall bo kept running, irrespective of loss? The. Mayor went on to say that these difficulties were not insurmountable., but tho council would have to take time to coneider the matter. The deputation then withdrew.