The Evening Star MONDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 1876.

Evening Star, Issue 4046, 14 February 1876, Page 2

The Evening Star MONDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 1876.

The meeting in Leith Ward, to consider the subject of tramways, adopted a resolution which really expresses no opinion as to their desirability or otherwise. All that is objected to is granting a “ right or rights to any person or persons of the City streets for tramways.” We might Criticise the form of expression adopted, but as think we understand its meanings it is not worth commenting upon its constructive merits as a sentence. The natural order of thought would have been to have considered the advantages proposed to be derived from laying down tramway lines, before recommending who should not be allowed that privilege. Some of the speakers Mid address themselves to that point, although we cannot compliment them ,ori their knowledge of the subject; and jwe are of opinion " that Mr Leary’s amendment, acknowledging the necessity for more information before approving or condemning their construc- ' tion, would have been the better course. It is very difficult for anyone to say how the plan would work in Dunedin. Unfortunately its founders seem to have had no potion of the requirements for traffic of a large city, anil • have made its principal : streets so narrow as not to be equal to its needs, i To remedy this now, by widening thp street, would be impossible, excepting at a cost, compared with which the widening - of Princes Street South is a mere bagatelle. The question therefore arises, “ Is it possible to adopt any system of coach and dray traffic that will so increase the present transit capabilities of the roads as to render street widening unnecessary.” It is proposed to do this by adopting the tramway system, the alleged advantages of which are saving of labor, decreased expense in maintenance of roads, and increased speed at less cost in transit of goods and passengers. We, at present, offer no opinion upon these points, although we shall feel it our duty to lay such information before our readers as, from time to time we are able to collect. We are quite ready to concede that it is a question that should’ not hastily be decided, but that intelligent public opinion should aid the Corporation in their, deliberations on a point of such importance. As usual, there are opponents to the plan who narrow their views to what they term “vested interests,” and serving the purpose of persons in specified localities. Strangely enough, these contracted notions were expressed by speakers who claim to be almost exclusive advocates of popular rights. We give them credit for good intentions but cannot compliment them on tbeir clear-sightedness. If the of cheapness and increased speed of i transit can be combined with a less coat ; in road-making, there is evidently good ground on which the Corporation should i act. The street tramway, in relation to town traffic, hate its parallel in the relation the railway system bears to the internal means of communication in a country; and within the area of its operation the effects may be said to be similar’. The cry of vested interests should not be allowed to interfere in-the matter; especially as it is found in all I cases of this description 1 that those who seem most likely to suffer by a change beneficial to tho whole, share largely in the general good derived ifrom it when adopted. When Mr Sherw in alluded to ■vested interests, w© presun re he had the j cab proprietors in hia mind, ;vad possibly he miy have a vague notion that a few holdert of property, or si ropkeepera in

the suburbs, may be losers. In our opinion, he may comfort himself with the idea that facility of communication between the trading heart of a city and its extreme limits tends to equalise the value of property throughout.the whole —not by reducing the value of the central, but by raising that In the outlying districts. Nor is it likely a street tranoK way would decrease the employment of cabs. It is quite possible it will change the direction in which they ply, and tbit their chief future employment may be connecting districts, now not enjoying the advantages of cab accom-: modation; with the tramway just as railways are’fed by branch lines or short roads. This will, tend to give increased value to property now comparatively neglected, because of the difficulty of access to the business parts of the town! There may be difficulties peculiar to the tramway system with which we are unacquainted, but the advantaged to be expected from it are better and cheaper roads, and consequently either less taxation or more money to spend in improving streets at present almost impassable \ relieving, the present heavy traffic in the streets, and thus rendering them safer to traverse both on horse and foot; and conferring upon outlying property additional value through what may be termed equalising its distance to the centre of the City by reducing the time necessary to traverse it. ' This should enhance the value of all property in the direction of the tramway, increase City rates, and open up districts beyond that cannot now be comfortably inhabited. In other words it means economy of time, space, and money.