THE TRAMWAY SCHEME

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 369, 21 April 1910, Page 4

THE TRAMWAY SCHEME

MEETING OF THE PROVISIONAL |; COMMITTEE. PRELIMINARIES ARRANGED. The meeting of the Citizens' Committee to consider the proposal to instal electric trams for New Plymouth and its environs, held in the Town Hall last night, was well attended. There were present: llis Worship the Mayor (Mr. . G. Tisch) and Messrs. G. W. Browne, F. E. Wilson, E. Doekrill, J. West a7id J. Clarke (members of the Borough Council's Tramways Committee), W. Cutfiekk F. S. Jackson (Fitzroy Town Board | delegates), C. Carter. Rev. E. Allanson. Geo. Blanehard, F. Newall, A. C. Downes, Jas. McLeod, W. J. Penn, E. Griffiths. T. C. List, H. Okey. M.P., F. T. Bellringer (town clerk) and A. 11. Kendall (borough engineer). In opening the proceedings liis Worship said that many of those present had attetnded similar meetings in that same room to formulate and push ahead various schemes for the benefit and improvement of New Plymouth and the district generally. He enumerated the 'breakwater sdheme, the breakwater extension, waterworks, drainage and electric 'light. All of those schemes had been successfully carried out, and had assisted in the progress of the place. The electric tramway scheme which they were now about to consider was just as important as any of these, and he hoped to see the question fully and fairly discussed, witlh a view o? promulgating a definite scheme to lay before the ratepayers. Some people would say, no dloubt, thait a tramway service a luxury, but trams were a necessity if New Plymouth was to keep abreast of the times. People looking for a desirable place of residence selected conveniences of travel, as well as the list of public services he had named. Again, there were people who would leave the backward town for the place where these conveniences w;ere in existence. He had hoped t)lkit the tramway scheme would have 'been a matter for the Greater New Plymouth, but the ratepayers outside the borough had not been very keen on coming in when the matter was placed before them. His idea now wa.s that a tramway area should be formed) of the borough and its environs, whicih would be liable for a tramway rate, for the scheme was a 'bit too big for the borough, and lie was not prepared to recommend the burgesses to rate themselves for a loan for the purpose of providing tramway services for those people who declined to sluire the burden. The boundaries of this rating area would have to be very carefully considered, so that there would 'be a reasonable prospect of the ratepayers in it endorsing the tramway proposals. Of course, the main line would 'be from Fitzroy to the breakwater at Moturoa, and that line would probably pay, at any rate after the first year or so. But the people along the Frankley, Oarrington and Eliot roaas would want to know, "Where do we come in?" for they would doubtless be included in the rating area. So he would suggest laying down (Sy 3 miles of track, comprising 4 1 /. miles between Fitzroy and the harbor, a nu'le from Devon street to the Mill-Oarrington road corner at Vogeltown, and) a mile from the centre of the town to the junction of Eliot road and Outfield road, either by way of Standish Hill or by way of Devon and Morley streets. The car-shed, offices and the necessary converting machinery for supply current to the cars, could be erected on the freehold recently acquired by the Borough Council at the corner of Liardet and Vivian streets, alongside the old railway line. Basing his estimate on the I cost of the Wa]).ga!iui svsteln. he gave ! the estimated cost as under: C'/g miles lof track at £5500 per mile, £35,750; j five cars at £1250, £1)250; ilwifl'er bat; , tery and the necessary machinery, I £3000; car shed and buildings, say,

£1000; a total of £46,000. This amount, bearing interest ait 4% per cent, and y., per cent, sinking fund, would render the district liable for the annual .payment of £2300 in interest. The capital value of the borough was about £1,070,000, and of the su'tHiirban districts, sav, £400,000. A rate of rather less than a halfpenny in the £ would produce the interest, which meant that a property worth £IOOO would pay about £2 in rates. He had recently learned that at Freniantlc. West Australia, they had laid 7 miles 20 chains of track, including cars, for £<i(il(i per mile. He expressed his 'thanks to Messrs. M. .Tones, S. W. Jury and J. W. West for the following information as to the number of passengers carried on their Fitzroy-Breakwater msses. Mr. Jones' Xew Plymouth-to-Breakwater 'bus carried 11.800 passengers in the quarter ended March 31 last, or 700 better than in the corresponding three months of the previous year. Taken in conjunction witJi the last nine months of 1909 this worked out at about sOO a week, or about 43,000 for the year ending 31st March. 1910. Mr. .J. W. West bad made up a rough estimate to the effect that on liis Fitzrov service in tile year ending December 31st last, 07,716 passengers were carried. Mr. 8. W. Jury's figures were about the same as Mr. Jones', so that he reckoned that, all told, 110,716 passengers were carried annually between Fitzroy and the Breakwater.

The Mayor moved t'liat the recommendation to form a tramways district be approved.

Mr. G. W. Browne seconded. Mr. A, C. Dowries asked what hope there was of forming a Greater Xew Plymouth. The question had not been properly considered by the suburban districts, except at South road.

The Mayor said there was nothing to prevent the Greater New Plymouth scheme being proceeded with apart from tilie tramway scheme, and following upon it. Mr. Carter thought it better for the meeting to stick to the tramway sclieme. He congratulated and thanked the Mayor for the active interest he wis taking in this progressive matter. He 'believed the matter should: be pushed mi. He asked the Mayor to explain at the outset wlvat relation the New Plymouth Borough would have to the tramways. In some places the ratepayers were regretting that this phase of'the question had not been fully considered before handing over control of the trams to other people. Mr. Tiseli outlined his scheme to form a tramways area, with a tramway 'hoard elected by the borough and neighbouring areas, to have a Bill promoted and the loan raised. There was no idea of allowing the property in the trams to pass to private persons. They would belong to the ratepayers. In regard to financing the engaging of an expert to report, and finding the money for placing the sc:heme before the ratepayers, who was to hear the coat? • Ho suggested that the local bodies interested •should share the tost, and the tramways hoard charged with this amount when it was formed. Mr. Carter said there would foe very little opposition fixun the suburbs. i -

Mr. H. Okey, M.P., thought it would lie better to bring about a Greater New Plymouth scheme. He explained that the scheme would be looked upon fax more favorably now by the suburba* ratepayers than when the matter was before them a few years ago. He thought the tramway proposals would stand a greater chance of success if promoted by the borough. Mr. List thought it lWter for the committee to confine itself to the tramways scheme and leave other matters alone for the present. The motion was carried.

After a lengthy discussion, a motion proposed by Mr. Penn was carried, recommending a tramway area, bounded approximately by the sea ou one side, by the "Paritutu line" from Paritutu to Barrett's lagoon, thence through Frankr leigh Park and Vogeltown along the back of Brook lands to the Waiwakaih# river.

The Mayor and Messrs. C. Carter, G. W. Browne, W. J. Penn, Downes, Bigelow audi Allanson were .set up as a committee to more particularly define the 'boundaries, and to report. This decision was arrived at after a lengthy discussion.

Mr. F. E. Wilson criticised the Mayor's suggested scheme, stating that the line to Cock's comer at Vogeltown and the Standish Hill line would never pay. The latter district couldn't run a daily 'bus yet, whilst any tramline to Vogeltown must extend to the present 'bus terminus.

Upon a proposal being made to engage an engineer for an outline report, 51 r. McLeod supported Mr, Penn in the argument that a committee must collect data, suggest a route, and estimate the probable traffic before going to this exppnse.

Tlie boundaries committor, with the addition of Messrs. MeLeod, \V. Outfield and G. W. Browne, wns demited to bring down something like a definite proposal as to finance, etc., at n meeting l of the general committe next Wednesday even* ing.