Manawatu Herald. THURSDAY, FEB. 22, 1900. Extension of Tramway.

Manawatu Herald, 22 February 1900, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. THURSDAY, FEB. 22, 1900. Extension of Tramway.

n. It has been shown by the County Chairman that the extension of the Carnarvon Tramway to Builds bridge would be a financial saving to the County as a whole, even it for no other purpose than that of metalling and repairing the county roads. The Tram was laid down as a public convenience and with the view that in time it would be a good revenue producing property and it has only been from the apathy and Want of push on the part of the Manawatu County Council that it has not been developed in this direction many years ago- This error has been but the old shipwrights saving of spoiling the ship for the ha'pworth of tar, as it but needed raising sufficient capital to have moved the loss on working the tram to a gain* We trust that ft mdre vigorous action will now mark the doings of the Council and that the Tram instead of terminating at the Bull's Bridge may yet be taken over it and on to Greatford or the new Marton Junction. The new bridge has been designed stable enough to carry the Tram engine, and it but needs the Manawatu County Council to confer with both the Bulls Town Board and the Rangitikei County Council to devise the means to form this necessary four or five miles to connect with the government railway at either* of the two points we have mentioned. If the Manawatu Council can form 24 miles of Tramway it should not be difficult for Rangitikei to form four or five miles of the same kind of tramway. It should be a sufficiently good speculation for a syndicate of business men to get the Rangitikei Council to do the necessary formation whilst they could agree to guarantee the Council the interest on the loan and thus reap the profits for themselves. Every district must make a push for expansion of trade and there can be no question that a tramway running through the town of Bulls would be of the very greatest service to the trade of that town as the tradespeople would be placed on an even footing with every town on the railway system on this coast, and imports and exports could be despatched either to Wanganui or Foxton as the advantages to shippers at either port prevailed, and a trade both north and south on the line would be opened up to all. The question of traffic is one well worthy of the greatest consideration by the promoters of the extension as it must be considerably increased whatever the distance advanced, but more so if oarried to its legitimate end. At the present time the traders of Bulls have not made much use of the tramway as they have had nearly five miles to cart their goods from Sanson, and they have preferred going a shorter distance to Greatford. If the terminus is made at the Bull's bridge the distance to cart will be under a mile, and as tke steamer freight to Foxton is no more than the steamers oharge to Wanganui, the Bulls business people can get their supplies from Wellington from Foxton to the Bridge for 23 miles railway charges and one mile of carting as against 84 miles , railway charges and 4 to 5 miles carting from Wanganui. Under these circumstances there cannot be any doubt which route they would adopt. The exteusion of the tramway to Marton would place tfrat town in the enviable position of being very centrally situated in regard to business on this coast and with the ohoice of two ports, in which Foxton would show a saving of four miles of railway carriage. There are necessarily very many other points of advantage in these proposals, but they can be summed up as proving the extension of the tramway to be a wise and paying proposal which should be oarried out at the earliest possible moment. Our faith in this route has never wavered, and eaoh ■ yew oi»t hw passed has aon con-

C ■ — ; [ yinced us of its necessity, and the increased population has only added further guarantees of the project being a profitable one,