STREET TRAMWAYS.

Evening Star, Issue 3766, 19 March 1875, Page 2

STREET TRAMWAYS.

To Vie Editor. Sir, — In your issue of Wednesday there appears a note informing your readers that “ several firms north and south of the town are about applying to the City Council for permission to lay tramways across Princes street and George street in connection with the railway-" Your correspondent also adds, without giving a single reason ; “ It is to bo hoped our Town Councillors will not commit themselves to such an action.” Allow me then, Mr Editor, to state very briefly the very great advantages of these branch lines. The goods waggons, instead of being unloaded at the station, would atonoe be pulled by horses to the various storehouses, and thus save the railway department the cost of unloading them—about sixpence per >ton. • Goods would be sent away in like manner. The tramways would also save the wear and tear of the streets, which is a very important consideration. But the greatest benefit they would confer would be that, instead of all the geods being received and delivered at the. station, with all the continually increasing traffic and confusion, the latter would be reduced just in proportion as traffic on the tramways wan' extended, and thus pnable the goods manager to do double the work, with little more half the labor, and also very ranch less extent of station premises. w|r . “Watch Dog” not having stated his objections, the only objeetion I can think of would be that those merchants who have premises unsuitable to get rails laid to them might hi dispoaed to growl and Obstructa little ;’but they would soon tire of that, and would libelyfthd out that the host courts for them would be to

purchase some of the land being reclaimed, and thus raise its value, which would benefit the Harbor Board, whose interests are in harmony with the City Council’s. Over and above all these considerations, there still remains the very important fact that the cheaper we can import and export goods, the better it is for the community, and the more able we will be to compete with our neighbors in all kinds of manufactures.—l am, &c., _ „ Jambs Stkwaet. Dunedin, March 19. To the Editor. SlB, —The letter of your correspondent ‘‘Watch Dog,” which appeared in your issue of last night, shows to me that he must be possessed with a good deal of the bull-dog breed. My own impression is that he does not know what he is writing about, or does he try to convince the citizens of Dunedin that by driving the manufactories out of it he will improve the trade of our port ? I think we ought to encourage them as much as possible, as well as our wholesale houses, which would be likely to take advantage of onr railways. The railway system has been introduced, and the Government as Well as the < ity Council should take advantage of it as much as possible, so long as it does not interfere with the citizens’ interests or private Sroperty. In conclusion, I would ask “ Watch log” the following question, which I trust he Will answer:—lf a waggon load carrying say six tons, which I believe is the usual load that can be taken by rail in say two minutes by one horse, can be;taken into any of the applicants’ premises, why should the Government be put to the trouble of loading and unloading, as the case may be, and find storage for same, when it could be delivered at the,merchant’s door, thus saving the Corporation the tear and wear of the street ? This of itself, I think, would be a great boon to the public, but “ Watch Dog’s” answer will oblige Pro Bono Publico. Dunedin, March 18.