THE TRAMWAY SCHEME

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 375, 28 April 1910, Page 8

THE TRAMWAY SCHEME

A VALUABLE REPORT. RATEPAYERS' MEETINGS TO BE HELD. The Tramways Committee met last night. His Worship the Mayor, Mr. G. Tisch, presided, and there wore also present Messrs. Downcs,. F. C. Bellringer, J. McLcod. W. Cutlield, G. Blanc hard, F. fc>. Jackson, A. E. Watkins, 11. Okey, M.P., W. J. Penn, C. E. Allanson, and G. Browne. Mr. F. T. Bellringer, town clerk, Mr. H. Black, borough electrical engineer, and Mr. A. H. Kendall, borough engineer, were also in attendance. The sub-committee appointed at last Wednesday's meeting reported as 1011-o l-o ws: Your sub-committee appointed to go more fully into the matter of boundaries and 'values of a proposed tramway district and the probable cost of installing lilies, together -with an estimate of the°revcnuc and expenditure, has the honor to report as follows: — After careful consideration we have thought it advisable to submit two schemes, one confined to a tramline from Fitzroy to Moturoa, the other for branch lines to Vogeltown and Elliot Road. . Dealing first with the Fitzroy-Moturoa line, we estimate that a length of five miles (including turn-outs) will be required, and that the cost of laying will be approximately £5500 per mile, that five cars will be required at u cost of £I2OO each (this is stated to be the cost at which the Dunedin Corporation can obtain bogey cars with seating accommodation for 58 passengers and provision for smokers), that the necessary buffer battery and machinery win cost (as -per estimate of the borough electrical engineer) £3OOO, and that carshed, etc., will cost £IOOO. The capital cost of installation will therefore be as follows: £ Five mjles of track at £5500 .. 27.500 Five cars -at £I2OO .. .. 0,000 Battery and machinery .. .. 3,01)0 Car-shed, etc 1,00') Contingencies, say .. .. 2,500 Total £40,000 1 The estimate of cost of laying the track is based upon the actual cost at Wanganui. The annual expenses we estimate as follows, the actual expenses of the Wanganui trams being placed in brackets: £ Interest and sinking fund at 4 1 /. and 1 per cent (£2700) 2200 Power (£1282) 900 Traffic expenses .. (£3371) 2800 1 General expenses .. (£639) 600' Repairs, etc. .. .. ( £832) 750 Plant, etc. .. (£338) 300 Total .. .. ( £9164) £7550 At Wanganui the rate of interest paid is 4y 2 per cent., with iy 2 per cent, sinking fund, but your committee thinks 5Vi per cent, is a fair rate to reckon upon. At Wanganui the length of i'oad is rather greater and six cars are provided for; thus the cost of maintenance, ( power, and running expenses here iVill i be less than there. In all probability I the cost of power will be less than stated -above, since the Borough Council possesses abundant power at a cheap rate of generation, and will no doubt be prepared to supply the tramway board at a very reasonable rate.

Basing our estimate upon a population within reach of the service of 7500 (made up of New Plymouth 6000, Fitzrov 1000, St. Aubyn and Moturoa 500), and upon the assumption that on the average each unit of population will travel 120 times per annum at an average fare of 2d, we arrive at a revenue of £7500. thus:—7soo x 120: 900,000 x 2d: £7500. This leaves a deficiency of £SO a year only. The estimate of 120 trips per annum per unit of .population is based upon the aetual experience of other places served by electric tramways, and we think that with a growing town district (Fitzrov) at one terminus, a port and popular holiday resort at the other, and almost continuous populated area abutting on the line along the whole intermediate length, the suggested line is likely to be particularly well patronised by ordinary as well as extraordinary traffic.' The capital rateable value of the area proposed to be included in the tramway district is as follows: —

Xew Plymouth borough .. 1,095,885 j Fitzroy to wn district .. 124,000' St. Aubyn town district .. 100,000 j Moturoa property outside St. Aubyn, say 21,7421 Total /. £1,341,627 j To secure interest and sinking fund, £2200, a rate of -3M in the £ on the above would be required, but if the estimates given are realised there should be no need to actually strike a rate, or at most' only a very trifling amount. With regard to the suggested branch lines to Vogeltown and Elliot Road, we are of opinion that it would be neces-j sary in the case of the former to lay about two miles of track, to the present 'bus terminus. This would cost £II,OOO for the track, assuming that the borough and the county would undertake the widening of the road where required, and £I2OO for a car; total £12.200, the interest on which would amount to £671. The running expenses would probably amount to fully £IOOO a year, making tile total annual cost of the service £lO7l. To earn this amount would entail the carrying of 133,680 passengers per annum at 3d each, and if we place the population served at 500 it will be seen that it would be necessary for each unit to make 267 trips per annum at 3d per trip. We do not think there is the slightest prospect of such a traffic, without which the service would be carried on at a heavy annual loss. These remarks apply with equal force to the Elliot Road branch, except that the .population likely to be served by it is probably less than on the Vogeltown route. A branch to Frankleigh Park would be as costly and no more remunerative, so that we are forced to the conclusion that these branches must be left out of 1 the scheme for the present, until the I I prospects of traffic are good enough to j warrant round lines by the Carrington' and Avenue Roads and' by the Franklev j and Elliot Roads. I If 'the. idea of constructing these branch lines should be further enter-' tained on the security of a rating area ] including the district on the south side of New Plymouth to approximately the line shown on accompanying plan, and including Vogeltown and Frankleigh Park, we estimate that the additional capita] cost would be not less than £24,400 (4 miles of track at £5500 and 2 cars at £I2OO each), and that the additional earning charge, including interest, would amount to £3342, making the total cost of the whole service £10,892. Assuming that an additional 1000 people would thereby be brought

within reach., thorp would be 8500, and ii tlk-si- travelled 120 times per annum at ;ui average fare of 'id the annual revenue would lie .CS.jUO, leaving a uelicicncy of on the whole system, which, we fear, is a cominiiency that 1 the ratepayers cannot he expected to face. Of course, if higher faros were charged and the same number of passengers travelled at an average of 2 1 / A per trip the deficiency would not amount to more than about £3OO. But we are of opinion that there should be nenny sections of approximately one mile each in order to encourage the people to make the fullest use of tile trams. In conclusion, then, your committee feels bound to recommend that the scheme be confined for the present to the Fitzroy-Moturoa line, and that the tramway district be defined to include the borough of New Plymouth, the town district of Fitzroy, the town district of St. Aubyn, and a small portion of the Omata Riding of the Taranaki County as marked upon the accompanying map. ' We estimate, ronghlv, that the line proposed can he completed and equipped for £40,000, and that the revenue during the first year's working will equal I the expenses within £IOO. I In answer to Mr. F. C. Bellringer. the town clerk said that the rateable valuation of New Plymouth was not as great ! as shown in the Blue Book, for the latter figures included the Recreation Grounds, racecourse, and other unrateable properties. The Mayor, replying to questions, said the sub-committee's estimates of cost were on the high side. Mr. Penn explained that the expenses of management estimated for New Plymouth were based on the actual working expenses at Wanganui. He reckoned that this would be a four-car service, in comparison with Wanganui's six ears. Discussing the population estimates, Mr. Cutfield pointed out that Fitzroy would soon have its thousand, and easily that number when including the people outside the actual township but still served by the tram*. Mr. Okev, M.P., strongly urged that the New Plymouth borough should undertake the scheme, the suburban districts concerned still being rated and represented on the board. lie saw no necessity for a tramway district and tramway 'board. Mr. Fred Bell ringer supported this view, stating that this would prevent any chance of friction between the municipal and tramway authorities. The tram system would be part of the civic life, and should l>e controlled principally by the municipality. lie was opposed to the election of a tramway board by the ratepayers of a tramway area. The Mayor should l>e personally in touch with the tramways, and preferably chairman -of the management hoard. Mr. Penn said there should be no difficulty in arranging that the Board should comprise five members of the New Plymouth Borough Council (of whom one should be the Mayor as chairman of the board), and one member each from the Fitzrov and St. Aubyn town boards. That 'would be the more workable scheme. The Mayor said that the borough would have a greater chance of raising the money than any tramway board.

Mr. Downes considered the average fare of twopence was rather high, seeing that the bulk of the fares paid would be of twopence and a penny. The report was adopted, and it was decided to convene meetings at Fitzrov and West End and at the Town Hall for public discussion of tlie .scheme. Mr. Cutfield hoped that there would be no further talk of, Greater New Plymouth cropping up. Greater Xew Plymouth wasn't coming along just yet, and it would be a pity to delay the tram scheme 011 that account. Upon the motion of Mr. Okey, it was decided that Messrs. Penn, Cutfield, Blanchard, Allauson, and the Mayor be a deputation to wait 011 the Boroutrh Council to ask them to take up the tramways as a municipal concern, but having rating ,powers over Fitzroy and St. Aubyn townships. The Mayor said the Council would hold a special meeting for the purpose after the Mayoral installation next Wednesday morning.