MEETING OF RATEPAYERS, AVON DISTRICT.

Globe, Volume IX, Issue 1264, 6 April 1878, Page 2

MEETING OF RATEPAYERS, AVON DISTRICT.

In compliance with a requisition received by the chairman of the Road Board, a public meeting of the ratepayers of the Avon district was held last evening at the Road Board ofHce. There was not a large attendance. Mr J. L. Wilson, ohairman of the Board, read the requisition, signed by twenty ratepayers, lie said he observed there were two k the gestaes present wao bad «§»ed tite

requisition, and perhaps they would be good enough to state their desire. Two days' notice of the meeting had been given, and as he understood that the Board did not know what was wanted, he would like the requisitionists to make their statement. Mr Goodlands said, as one who had signed the requisition, he would like to say that he (the chairman) had stated—at least it was reported so in the district—that no concessions would be made to any Tramway Company without first consulting the ratepayers. As he believed that some arrangements had been made with the company, he would like to know what they were. The Chairman said the Board had done nothing in the dark, or what the ratepayers would blame them for. The arrangements were not final, but the Board had in a measure been influenced by the action of the City Council and other bodies who had made arrangements with the company without calling a public meeting. The Chairman then read the preliminary conditions agreed to at a special meeting of the Board, particulars of which have already appeared in print. As he had said before, the terms agreed upon were subject to alteration. In reply to Mr Goodlands, the Chairmr said the tramway terminus would be at t Papanui railway station. Mr Goodlands said bo far as he cojd / the Board had handed over the road*> e property of the public—without the-, e " payers receiving any material benei. thereby. The people of Papanui would b worse served by the tramway than they wert at present by the 'busses. They would have to walk three-quarters of a mile to their homes, have to guarantee 1\ per cent, for any extension, and the benefit derived from carriage of road metal would, in his opinion, be found a delusion. Neither the chairman nor Mr Hadfield had kept their promises tothe ratepayers made before their election. Mr J. Evans Brown, chairman of the 1 Tramway Company, said he saw from the remarks that it was not the tramway that was objected to, only the terminus being at the railway station at Papanui. When the idea of tramways was first originated the system was based from certain points. Now there was a great demand for the tramways—notably from Riccarton, Sumner, New Brighton, and the foot of the hills. It would be a question for the directors whether their capital should not be doubled as soon as possible. They had to provide for meeting the train at Papanui three times a day ; but for the matter of half a mile or more, if the directors found it would pay them, they would only be too happy to make the extension required. If the ratepayers showed by their interest in the company that they wished the line extended, and would help the company by subscribing, they would soon have to buy land in, all directions at Papanui, and it might be an immediate question whether alternate trams should not go on towards the Styx, to which point the company, he believed, would soon have to extend their line. He was going to visit the place the following day, had instructed the engineer to make a survey there, and personally he was in favor of extending the line immediately at Papanui. He might mention that the company had the power of making the line without the consent of the Board. In reply to Mr Goodlands, Mr Brown said that the company did not want any guarantee beyond being shown that a traffic existed in any district. He would not guarantee that the station would be removed as far as the Papanui school, and they had not asked the public for more money than to take it as far as the railway station at present. Mr Turner, as one of the directors, said he would not be willing to remain at the Papanui station. The company wished to be able to reduce the f are-J to J such |a price that they might be enabled to induce the working population, without paying a heavy tax, to make homesteads a distance from town. For twenty-one years the company would have to run trams whether it paid them or not, but what they desired was to run before six o'clock in the morning and late in the evening, so that working-men who desired to have gardens surrounding their hou-es, would be enabled to have them without walking t wo miles to their work. At present they had only asked the public for £50,000, but he felt certain within a few years they would at least require a quarter of a million of money to extend the lines where they would be required. As one of the directors, he would desire to take the line into the vjllage of Papanui. [Hear, hear.] How that was to be done was, however, another matter. A Ratepayer present said that from what they had heard it was evident the company had treated the ratepayers in a liberal manner, but the Board had altogether broken the promises they had made.

The Hon. J. T. Peacock said that as one of the directors he would not at present agree with the proposal to remove the terminus away from the railway station. At a future time this course might be found necessary. Mr Turner said he did not speak of removing the terminus from the railway station, but of means to get the people to the station from Papanui. Mr Hadfield explained what the Board had done at the interview with the directors o£ the companr, and read the minutes to show that he was in a minority on some of the points. Mr J. Wild said that as it was the Papanui people who felt aggrieved, the meeting should have been held at Papanui. Mr Hadfuld had been throwing dust in his eyes all the time, and had sold him. The Chairman said unless remarks were made to the point, and in a sensible manner, it would be as well to close the meeting. He would like them distinctly to understand that all the arrangements come to were of a preliminary nature. His impression certainly was, and so was Mr HadnVld's, that the tramway was to go up the Papanui road, and he felt certain it would be taken there. As lie had said before, the Board had committed themselves finally to nothing, and the effervescence displayed by the Papanui: portion was nothing more than mere selfishnesses the St. Albans people world have been ju?t as much justified in asking that the lines should be taken to their portion of the district. They had all had their say, and for himself he felt certain the line would go up the Papanui road, and he regretted to think that the people there had not taken more interest in the tramway. Mr Turner said the main features o£ the terms on which the oompany would act were included in the arrangements made with the Board. The last clause was one inserted for the protection of the ratepayers. The terms of the Board had been harder than those asked by the Christchurch Municipality, and some of those asked might have been the means of injuring valuable properties. Mr Birch, secretary, said the would have to make the tramway ~ :reht „ convenience to the public as a penny plottage stamp was, else they would not feel pat iafip_„ with themselves. The Chairman said he considered it was.. : excellent concession for the company to carry road metal for the Board free, as it at present cost them 3s 6d per yard to cart it from the Christchurch station. Mr Q-oodlands moved—" That this meeting is of opinion that no concession Bhould be granted to any tramway company who will not vun a line at least as far as the Papanui echool." Mr Wild seconded the motion. Mr Willey moved as au amendment—- " That the company have power to use the road up to the Papanui station, and to go as far as they feel inclined to." Mr Bobyes seconded the amendment. Mr Turner did not think that either of the resolutions should be pressed, as in his opinion the Papanui people should first have addressed the company, asking them to extend the line. Out of a large number of ratepayers in the district only same twenty were present, and he thought they ought not in any way to hamper the Road Board by a resolution. Mr Brown said he had instructed the engineer to the company to survey the Hue at Papanui on the following day, but the action of some of the residents wag to endeavor toprevent the whole of the district having the benefit of a tramway. He was doing hm best for them, and they might depend on it tbat tbe directors wore too wide-aw«ke t»

their own interests not to stretch a point where they found any traffic existing. The Chairman said if Mr Turner's suggestion were adopted, he, as chairman of the Board would promise to write a formal request ashing the directors of the company if possible to extend the line into Papanui. Mr Goodlands said under that promise, wiih the consent of the seconder, he was willing to withdraw the resolution. The Chairman said if they remembered what Mr Brown said at the first they would iee that the company had only come to the Board as a matter of courtesy, and could have made the tramway without asking their permission to use the road. After some further remarks the resolution and amendment were withdrawn, and the meeting terminated.