CITY MOTOR BUSES.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2158, 26 May 1914, Page 6

CITY MOTOR BUSES.

£4095. FOR USEE.

AS AN AID TO CAR SERVICES. Some months' ago, tho City Council, influenced hy the reports of tho utility of motor-buses as a supplementary aid so tho municipal electric cm* service, decided to experiment in tho nowest mode of city passenger traction, chiefly with the iota ol serving those districts more or less remote from the tramway system. Tenders.were duly called and at a meeting of the- council held on April '2 the comieii adopted the recommendation, of tho Tramways Committee:—

•'That the 'ender of Messrs. Richardson, H'Onbo, and Co. for the supply of three Tiliuig-Stevens petrol electric motor-buses, should be accepted as recommended by the Tramway BoaTd of Management,"'

: In tho- course, of a- discussion, upon ! this clause i« the report, Counriilofr I■'Fletcher moved m an amendment that l the number of 'buses to be orrisred be two instead of three, though the tramways Board had only actually recommended tho purchase of two, arid stated plainly that that was all that were necessary to meet present requirements. Councillor Butldl'o was opposed to increasing the- number.

GotmcilioT M'Eozie. said that the coancil should not tie itself down toons typo of motor-bus. Counrfillor Fitzgerald said that the time had arrived when tho council should standardise their oars, and that the- council had been experimenting too Much with motor vehicles. He also aniioulsoed that it was a motor age, and the council would havo to grapple with the. question of providing suitable roadis whether they wont in for a'schema ot not. The. Mayor mentioned that the TramWitjs Board had originally mentioned three cars, hut -they had come dawn to two. H<s hoped that Councillor Fle/teher would not press' his .amendment for five buses. At this Councillor Fletcher -withdrew his amendment, and the three buses-were agreed to,

At the meeting irs question no tioii Was made of" tho cost of the cars to be orieted s and it is net usual to do so until the contract is sigrml and On inquiry yesterday, it wits ascertained that thowgh a. letter had been forwarded to Messrs. Richardson, M'Cabc, and Co., accenting that firm's tender subject to eortam provisions, no contract has yot ten signed. As there- has bem% some littles continent', in motor circles respecting the. comieil's.division in respect to tile motor bus order, an inquiry was-made from the- Mayor (Mr. J. f, L«.ke) yesterday h-is to the price that, was feeing paid. lor the Tillii'ig-Stereiw ■. buses. His Worship stated that the contract price for the three Tiilihg-Stevens petrol electric motor emnibiisos was £$MS, and' lib waife it quite clear that tljs eoiitraetors were supplying cat-bodies and all aceofr-. sories at'- that figure. : Bto Tramway i Board had reported that there had been : »me-delay in fowardmgtlreir; reeomiteendatlon as thfty had been sdrised that t Tiffing-Stevens chassis would shortly irrivo for demonstration purposes,. The > :ftemk»rs of the board (Messrs. W. H. \iorton, Steaart BichaTdSDJi, and M. ;Ja.ble) inspected ; the new chassis, and ;ravelled ih it over the various, roads vhefe it wt\& proiwsed the city might lewdtip traffic, and after fall constdwaviou had decided! tfl roeoßiroend the filling-Stevens chassis. The tender of Messrs. .Richardson, (['Gate and Co., wtitimicd his Worship, iTOvided for loiigitadinal scats, but the loafd favoured "transverse seats, and iko made it perfectly clear that drop rindows, well upholstered seats, awl a i-el! sprang body, should be, provided, uM oii account of tlio alteration the adlition of another £50 to the contract >ri"e of eaA oar W allowed, 'llus nakes the contact pike -of oach motor ms £186 S. ' m Mr Uike said that the. Tramway foard had cafed attention to the great 'ariatiw.3 in the prices Rendered (for hree the Wire* bemg from £2000 4s.' 3d. *o Mil 105,