The Evening Star FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1874.

Evening Star, Issue 3623, 2 October 1874, Page 2

The Evening Star FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1874.

The street tramway subject bas been revived by the offer of Messrs Babe and Findlay to lay one down in Dunedin, on condition of having conceded to them a lease for twenty-one years. This lengthened period in the changing circumstances of the City is a serious consideration. It is to be presumed that the promoters have sufficiently counted the cost to justify them in the proposal they have made, and it is for the Corporation to estimate accurately the probable value of the concession asked. The cost of a street tramway would be considerable and its maintenance, though much less than that of a metalled road, would involve no small annual outlay. In view of the daily increasing traffic of the City, the risk of the contractors would in all probability not be very great. But if : the prospect of profit is so glaring as to induce private speculation, it becomes a grave question whether a work of so public a character should not be undertaken by the Corporation itself. Most probably the proposition would be met with the old stock argument, that Governments, no matter whether General, Provincial, or Municipal, should never interfere with private enterprise—an ambiguous doctrine, which we venture to affirm has led to more public inconvenience and loss than any other economic sophism, So unqu^tioningly

was it accepted in England some forty years ago, that all that was expected of .the Government was permission to construct, and to give monopoly of the proceeds. Telegraph lines, railways, docks, bridges, ordnance, ships of war, and every public work was done either by private companies or by tender, and precisely the same system of contract was tried in the military departments of France. Nobody had the hardihood to doubt that genius and the best practice never found shelter under the fostering wing of a government. The grand stimulus to the evolution of brain work was deemed to be profit; working men would not lift a hammer so high, nor allow it to descend so rapidly and effectively for a government as for a private employer ; the officials were appointed because of influence, not of merit, and all the Government had to do was to look on and, where needful,'pay. We need not trouble ourselves to inquire how this theory grew up; it is sufficient that it has not been found to work well in practice. The Government of England has discovered that the brain-power evolved has been quite as much in the direction of scamping work as in doing it well; that if private enterprise was sufficiently active to construct cannon and small arms cheaply, it was still more effective in supplying articles that on trial proved useless; and that it would not do to risk the fate of an army, a navy, and the kingdom solely upon the work of private workshops. Contracts with private firms are still entered into, but the standards are made by the Government, and private work is subjected to such scientific tests that bad material and construction are rendered nearly impossible. Precisely similar experience was forced upon the Navy Board in building ships of war. And in France, through the villainy of contractors, possibly connived at by dishonest inspectors, in the FrancoPrussian war thousands nf soldiers were sent to the field The English Government too has discovered shat railway lines should be under its control as well as telegraph. In the management of railways, private enterprise has been the means of bringing death: to thousands. The profit of the company versus public safety has been the rule. The mistake has been made of establishing a difference between main lines of road and main lines of railway, and of treating one as public and the other as private property. Just as there are private roads, may there be private railroads; but, no question, the main lines should be under public control. And in Otago our experience of public works is similar. The Waterworks was the result of private enterprise, so was the Port Chalmers Railway ; but very short trial showed that it was better for the public to purchase both than to allow them to remain under private control; and it will be the same with the Gasworks. We need not point to the prices paid for shortsightedness. We consider it, therefore, highly necessary that every care should be taken in the matter of street tramways. Of their advantages in multiplying the means of traffic in our streets, there can be no doubt; but in order to secure the promoters against loss, either some restrictions will prove necessary, or should it be considered advisable to extend the system to other streets than those proposed, compensation in some shape would have to be conceded. In view of the probable extension of the trade of the City through the deepening of the harbor, and with the additional reclamation necessary, it cannot be supposed that business traffic will be confined to those streets named. Others are being opened up, affording facilities for relieving the crowding in the present main thoroughfares. While, therefore, we do not think undue advantage should be taken of the proposal of the promoters to filch from them their plans—that is, so far as they have the merit of being original—it seems to us to be the peculiar business of the Corporation itself to adopt improvements of the sort for .the benefit of the town. Were it merely the present, or some five or six years’ lease that was under consideration, the concession might prove beneficial, but in twenty-one years Dunedin will probably be a city of one hundred thousand inhabitants, and have undergone un-tfaought-of 'transformations. The generation pursuing their busy callings between now and the end of the term may have to contend with many difficulties arising 1 out of such a contract; beside the facts that the promoters clearly expect to realise a handsome profit by the transaction, and that, if their expectations be well founded, the Corporation should be enabled to work or allow the working of the tramways to even greater advantage, and to apply the surplus revenue to the extension of the system where needed. No doubt the mode of obtaining a revenue would differ from that proposed, for we do not think the Corporation should be coach proprietors or carriers, but since the vehicles of the day have been adapted gradually to the roads on which they travel, so will those of the future be altered to suit changed circumstances. Our contention is, that if the Corporation engages to form roads, they should be of the best kind, and it is presumed street tramways are improvements upon our present practice; and if no direct revenue is derived from their use, the public will be profited by cheapness and rapidity in the transport of goods and passengers, and by the. less cost of maintenance. An article jin the ‘ Saturday Review* of August

3rd, 1872, is worth perusal by our City Councillors, as it tends to show the disadvantages as well as the advantages of tramways.

The Tararua arrived at the Bluff early this morning, after an exceedingly rough passage of thirty-nine hours. A passenger telegraphs ÜB .r?at it is Captain Underwood’s opinion that if he can force his way against tke gale as far as the Solander, he will save the mail.

The first meeting for practice of the Dunedm Harmonic Society, in connection with the choir of All Saints’ Church, was held on Wednesday evening. There was a good attendance, and, under the direction of Mr Morrish, several glees were gone through with more than ordinary facility. A. great number of names were placed, on -the roll and a committee appointed to draw up the rules of the society.

One of the Southland papers, in describing a recent ball at Invercargill, introduces into its report the “ time-honored custom ” of denominating the belle of the room; and with a flourish of capitals, the reporter awards the honor to “graceful Miss S.” As a solatium to the feelings of the other ladies, he tells them that “no town in: the Colony cad compete with Invercargill in the number of its handsome women, and, I will add at the risk of being irrelevant, fine children.”

A meeting of passengers by the ship Surat was held last evening at the Queen’s Arms .Hqtel, .Princes street, to consider certain matters to be brought before a public meeting to be held at an early date. It was stated that the committee had decided upon adopting this course at the suggestion of various citizens. A copy of a letter sent Home by the last mail, in reply to certain inquiries made by a gentleman who has taken up the matter, w*S ala© read! This letter will be laid before the Home Hoverhment, with the view of further action being taken in regard to the passengers’ luggage. The Invercargill Police Court must be a lively place, if one can. accept as truthful the follow description of it:—“ The conveniences provided are : better .fitted to adorn an old curiosity shop than a Court ©f Justice. They consist of a wooden form, with two odoriferous kerosene lamps placed on one end by way of ornament, and a peurvy little desk elegantly carved by art loving’reporters of apparently many-diverse tastes for the beautiful. The desk also contains a shelf, which is a perfect little treasury of dusty, dirty lamp rags, and other interesting knickknacks.”

The Smith Combination Troupe gave another successful performance, at the Princess’s last eveflipg. Mr Smith’s benefit takes place to-night, for which, a very-enti-cing and diversified programme i| announced. Apart from this, however, Mr ’Smith' has claims upon the patrons of the theatre in a twofold sense. , in'the first place, a more enterprising caterer for the public amusement haj neyej: visited the Colony ; and in the next, whgn Ihe troupe were performing in Christchurch, Mr S#dtb wgs one of the first who volunteered to lend a helping baud to mitigate the distress of the family of the late Captain Sart, by generously placing tfie services of his company at the disposal of the Relief Pond Committee. Owing to the very unfavorable weather we have experienced lately,: the attendance at the Prin : cess’s has fallen off $ little, but we expect to see a fall house this pvpping and to-mor-•iow.

At the Fire Brigade dinner in N.eifon, at which his Excellency was present, M rC.yrtis, in replying on behalf of himself and the Provincial Council, said that after what had taken place in the last session of the Assembly, he might be looked upon as making his last dying speech and confession, for it was within the bounds of probability that, ere long, his seat and those of the Councillors would know them no more, for they might shortly be called upon to hand over the seals of office te the great army of their successors. Tor his own part he did not believe that that time was $o near as some people thought, but he hoped that BP long as they continued to exist they would do .their duty, and that their houses would be found jn order when they had to abandon them to their successors. Mr Maclean, one of the Council, ssid he regretted the approaching sudden demise of Provincial Councils—all sadden deaths were painful—but he could not shut bis eyes to the fact that popular feeling was against their continuance.

A correspondence is published in the ‘Marlborough Press,’which is pot without some amusing points. It appears that the people of Ficton—or some of them—have been highly scandalised because the N.Z.S.S. Company's steamers occasionally discharge their cargo (also passing entries, &c.,) on Sundays, and a petition was presented to the Superintendent on the subject. Jp reply, his Honor writes, forwarding a copy of a letter which Mr Ledger, the Wellington manager of the company, addressed,to the Secretary of Customs on the subject. After stating that he had only on exceptional occasions requested special permission to enter and clear at Pi nion pn Sundays, Mr Ledger go’s on to say ; “I would point out to you that the cargo to and from Pic top is at present so inconsiderable, and the passage ip and frp so dangerous, that it is a matter under consideration by the directors whether they should not withdraw their vessels from calling at the port of Ficton. Therefore, should the inhabitants of Ficton still object to the entry and clearance of the steamers on a Sunday ,(reqnLra<i J»ut seldom, and then only when very necessary), I am instructed by my directors to state th fye company's vessels will no longer .cpll at Pictpn, but proceed direct from Wellington to Nelspa, and vice verm* " ‘