The Globe. FRIDAY, JULY 6, 1877.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 946, 6 July 1877, Page 2

The Globe. FRIDAY, JULY 6, 1877.

Some time back a proposition was made to the Christchurch City Council for the establishment of street tramways. For some reason or other, however, the Council did not take up the project very warmly and the result was that nothing was done. Perhaps at that period in the history of the city the proposition was too premature, but now that we are increasing so rapidly alike in population and wealth it would not be inadvisable to consider the project once more. In Wellington a company has been formed, and the necessary steps taken, for the placing of tram cars on various routes at an early date. The projectors there are very sanguine as to the pecuniary success of the undertaking, they having accepted the entire risk. Now, if in Wellington, where the area to be served by tramways is, owing to the natural formation of the town, limited, a scheme of this character can be made remunerative, how much more so will it be in Christchurch. Here, not only is there a large extent of streets within the city boundaries, the cost of laying down the rails in which, owing to the flatness of the country, will be small; but the suburbs, which would also be connected with the central system, are large and daily increasing in population. Many of these are not served by railway, and the residents have no opportunity of coming to the city so cheaply and expeditiously as they would do were a line of tram cars established. The great recommendation in favor of the tramway system is that its establishment does not entail the breaking up of the streets or the interruption of the ordinary traffic in any way. The rails are so laid as to be perfectly level with the surface of the street, so that vehicles can cross at any part without trouble. The ease and rapidity of

locomotion by tins are means too well known to need demonstration, and there are also many other advantages possessed by the system. 80 far as the city itself is concerned all that would be required by the promoters of such a scheme would be the vesting in them, by the City Council, of power to lay down rails in the streets, &c. This, we think, there should be no difficulty whatever in granting, as the streets are in no way affected by the laying down of tramways. Looking to the great advantage which will accrue to the public from the establishment here of such a system, we hope that some steps will be taken, ere long, to form a company. The promoters of the Wellington one will at no distant date complete their work, and no doubt they, having plant and workmen on the spot, would undertake the construction of a line here at a reasonable cost. Of the ultimate success of the project pecuniarily there can be no doubt, particularly if the province makes such rapid strides in prosperity during the next few years as it has already done.