GROWTH OF WELLINGTON

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2774, 18 May 1916, Page 5

GROWTH OF WELLINGTON

NEED • FOE MORE; TEAMCAES. , "We could do 'with twenty more cars to-day if we could got them/'* said tlie Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) to a Dominion teporter yesterday. The reason for tho 'demand was the rapid growth of Welling^ ■ ton during tho past year or two. Only a \ few weeks ago the City .opened a new , 'connecting section .of tramway line to Ivil- k I birnie, via: Constable Street,; .ind, judging by .tha number of_ passengers ■■ that \vere being carried to Ivilbirnic iioutli and Lyall Bay by Iho new" route; "here was still said to be pressure on tho tunnel Section, caused doubtless by the shortage (of care to meet the ever-growing demand. I That Wellington was growing, and grow•jug rapidly, no one could doubt. The increase in tho marriage statistics, 'ario. the pressing demand' for houses; provided • • ample proof of that. The number of-per-taits that were being issued for residential buildings was as great to-day as in normal . . .prosperous times in -.Wellington. That 'growth might be partly attributable .to , the centralisation of military activities [in and about Wellington, but it was not .entirely attributable to that cause, as tlfe hien who came to Wellington for military ■purposes. went into camp. The increaso in business consequent upon - tho camps , being near Wellington ' had,, perhaps, a little to do with it, but the greater proportion of tho' growth was, die Mayor / Relieved, the natural healthy expansion ; of . the City, which had commenced to -stride forward'before the war co'mmenced. It was unfortunate that there-should l>e overcrowding on the cars during tho .rush ■ hours, but, owing to circumstances, 'de- , pendent on the war, it could not bo helped. ■ . \ Mr. Luke said that a full report oh the tramways, question. would be presented . to the council 'this evening; and would , ' be found to ba a most interesting docu--1 bient. , '