TRAMS TO AVONDALE

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1006, 24 June 1930, Page 14

TRAMS TO AVONDALE

POLL OF RATEPAYERS ON AUGUST 6 SUBSTITUTE FOR CITY TUNNEL The Transport Board has arrangements in hand for going ahead with the construction of tram-tracks to Avondale. It was decided this morning that a poll of ratepayers be held on Ai.ig.ust 6 for authority to borrow £58,400. “Had there not been doubt as to the Government’s intentions regarding the Morningside tunnel, this extension would have been included with those works which were approved by the ratepayers in May, 1929,” said the chairman, Mr. J. A. C. Allum. “The Government has decided not to construct the Morningside tunnel and the Local Government Loans Board has approved tram extension. The manager, Mr. A; E. Ford, advises that this extension will be profitable, and a great convenience to the travelling public. It will be from the present Mount Albert terminus to the Avondale township, and the board believes that the ratepayers will agree that residents in that well-populated district are entitled to enjoy, as soon as possible, the benefits resulting from being connected up to the general tramway service. “Although the poll is to be taken on August 15 it will be some time before the work can be commenced because a great deal of work will be involved in preparing the necessary working plans and in carrying out the necessary formalities which cannot be dealt with until the loan proposal is approved,” the chairman continued. “The extensions already completed show savings over the original estimates of £22,266, and it can, therefore, be confidently anticipated that the savings made on present works will go a long way to met the cost of the Mount Albert-Avondale extension. The board has not asked the ratepayers for any general authority, as its policy is "to submit specific works for the ratepayers’ approval, with the result that when works are carried out below the estimates, the balance of the money cannot be appropriated to other works. The reduction in costs has been due mainly to the greater use of mechanical appliances, and the very | favourable prices at which the board has purchased the necessary materials; tho board, of course, will raise only the amount of money actually required to i carry out the works.” EXTENSION OPPOSED The only note of opposition came from Mr. E. i£. Potter, who claimed that the board would never be able to offer a 2s 6d weekly ticket for workers. Mr. Allum: We are not going to. Continuing, Mr. Potter said there was no indication that the board would meet expenditure out of revenue derived from the extension. In any circumstances, he felt that no further extensions should be proceeded with until those now in progress had been completed. There was evidence that there was going to be a very large saving by the introduction of steam buses which the board was shortly to test. That would do away with the necessity for rails, sleepers and overhead. Mr* Potter then moved amendment to the chairman’s motion for adoption of his report. Mr. Potter desired that the extension be deferred until existing works had been completed. Seconding pro forma, Mr. M. J. Coyle pointed out that the board was in duty bound to give Avondale residents the service. Mr. Potter: Further extensions generally, I meant. Mr. L. E. Rhodes: T am certain it will be a paying proposition. Replying to a point Mr. Potter raised the chairman said that the new extensions would not require maintenance expenditure for a null her of years. There was some propaganda in this respect being raised over another issue (trams in Albert Street). As long as the board operated on business principles it had nothing to fear. In submitting the proposal to the ratepayers, the board was doing that on tho. merits of the scheme alone. The report was adopted.