THE TRAMWAY SCHEME.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 371, 23 April 1910, Page 3

THE TRAMWAY SCHEME.

I ■ (To the Editor.) Jsir, —1 would like to make two observations, neither of which is mere theory, but the result of experience and personal observation. Firstly: Short lines of trams hardly ever pay. How far, in our ca.se, it may be necessary to act on Mayor Tisch's suggestion to load the New Plymouth scheme with one or two short lines, 1 am quite unable to lorm an opinion; that may be the prudent or, perchance, the u;;ty way of carrying out an impi'i v, iiuriit of such vital importance io ilio welfare, of the district. But if so, it is much to be regretted. From a financial point of view it would be better to allow these very useful branch lines ito <l>e in abeyance for a year or two, before the main line k yielding a. revenue—which it is almost certain to do from the first. And secondly: The returns of 'bus traffic cannot be taken even approximately as a criterion for thait of trams. In every case it is certain to be so largely exceeded as to quite exceed any calculations based on the former. For instance, alike in small cities and smaller towns, one sees crowds oi people of both sexes and all ages taking a long ride on the trams in the evening ito enjoy the exhilarating effects of rapid transit and the change of air—a source of profit almost unknown to the 'busses—l am, etc.. B. ENROTH.