The Daily News. MONDAY, JANUARY 27, 1913. NO TIME FOR MOTOR 'BUSES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 212, 27 January 1913, Page 4

The Daily News. MONDAY, JANUARY 27, 1913. NO TIME FOR MOTOR 'BUSES.

J.he .New riymouth Borough Council m Friday night una n imousl decided to take a poll of ratepayers on a proposal to establish (lie overlw'sul system of tramways from Fitzroy to the I'rcakwater. at a eor-t of L.m.001). Apparently tlic Council lias given little thought to the installation of the motor 'bus. It has simply adopted the recommendations of Mr. Black, the electrical consult-

ing engineer, who, in hi, report, expresses himself as strongly against motor 'buses in a place like New l'lyliioutli. This view could have been anticipated, as, indeed, could the general effect of his report. Even where road conditions arc excellent he opposes the motor 'bus and support* the electric overhead system. We need but cite his report on the proposal to inaugurate a s\stem of transit in the Ilutt Valley, where the roads are firs!-class and practically without gradient-*. In this case hj« strongly favored the overhead system. The ratepayers, however, would not adopt the system.' and now a private syndicate is about to institute a motor 'bus service. . We feel that the Xew Plymouth Council has not .given sufficient consideration to'the merits of the motor 'bus. which is an. entirely different proposition f-ram the motor 'bus of a year iir two ago. . Then, we admit, there was only one .system' worthy of serious thought,'namely, the overhead electric system. Hut great improvements have jieen made of late in the motor 'bus, and as' a consequence it is seriously affecting, and in 'some eases supplanting, the electric overhead system, iir. Black says, "the success of motor 'buses 'in Loudon 'is 'continually quoted as a reason Why they should be adopted in all sorts of towns where the conditions are not, similar in one respect." and goes on to state that he had recently travelled on two, different mothe 'bus systems started in Ilawke's Bay, and found "in both cases, notwithstanding the macadamised, roads- run ovflr are among the best in Xew Zealand, the vibration finad jolting at even a moderate speed are most unpleasant." This opinion is at. variance with that of others who have .ridden in the ffawke's Ray cars,.and we took the trouble to wire to the editor of the Ilawke's Bay Tribune at Hastings for his views on the running of the .'buses. Here they are:

The motor.'bus running between llaveloek and Hastings is giving great satisfaction, and the public is well pleased with the service instituted. On Sunday the 'bus is diverted to make two trip's to the seaside, seven miles from Hastings, a popular run. The 'bus from ■Napier to Tarailale also gives satisfaction, and the company has landed the chassis 'for 'a second, which it is hoped will be ready in a month. The Taradale Town Board is to be petitioned by the ratepayers-to'institute a service owned by the local body. The services are quick and reliable. When travelling light the 'buses are a bit bumpy, but the roads are very bad now owing to the long spell of fine weather. They have, however, ipiite exploded the idea that they must have an asphalt surface. They can tackle any ordinary road. The 'bus negotiates Shakespeare' Hill, with a grade of about lin 11, easily. I-should not think-the New Plymouth hills would prove an obstacle. The ■ New Zealand Express Company are also running motor lorries between Hastings and Napier, with every satisfaction. The 'buses mal;e little noise or smell and are attractive looking.

There are many people in Napier who consider the town lias committed a grave mistake in going in for the electric overhead system, and only recently they went so far as to call a meeting to consider determining- the contracts let in connection with the installation of the trams and instill- iHstead motor 'buses. It was certainly an extraordinary, almost desperate, thing to do, feeing that the town had let contracts totalling .■t.")3,nnn, but it serves to show the extent of the uneasy feeling existing regarding the prospects of the electric trams. It also shows that a section of the Napier community have no doubts about the..-suitability, and, efficiency of the motor 'bus for the town, which, by the way, has gradients steeper if anything than those in New Plymouth. One of the reasons {hey advanced 'for abandoning the electric undertaking was that "motor 'buses have, now been introduced into Hawke's Ray, and are likely to prove efficient and remunerative." The feeling can be gauged from a perusal of the following extract from the local Herald:

We have ocular demonstration of the capabilities of the motor 'bus. The Hastiugs-Havcloek service is in goin" order, and the single vehicle carries it on easily, and on Sinulavs takes two big loads of holiday makers out to Clive Grange. The Napier-Taradalc service has already been started. The Hastings bus travelled easily over the Napier lulls, and is a comfortable and noiseKss machine. There can be no reason, therefore, for saying that the''bus "is still it) its experimental stage. We do not believe that the 'bus will beat the tram where circumstances are favorable to the latter, ihit in our circumstances we think everything is against them. And if the ratepayers will consider that the cost has run up from £45,000 to £66,000, and tliat we shall have to find 1.-1300 annually for interest and sinking fund in addition to working expenses, it will be tolerably evident that we have made a bad bargain. AYe are ]lot „ o ing to getonr money's worth, and we are not going to add to the attractions of the town. We should be glad- to think thai it was not too late to make good what was clearly a serious mistake In Palmerstou Xorth a | sn , wl , (11 . u ~ .tramway poll was carried a few mouths ago, a . local movement is on foot to establish motor 'buses, and it has been predicted that the tramway scheme will be upset when the question of the route to be adopted is submitted to the ratepayer,. The Timarn Borough Council with these facts before them, and after most of the members had seen a modern motor 'bus at work in Dum-din, decided hy ten votes to two to instal motor 'buses as against installing the electric overhead system. It is urged that the streets of New Plymouth are quite unsuited for motor 'bm traffic, but, Irnses or no 'buses, they will have' to be put in order, whatever (he cost Tliny are. we have no hesitation in Sily ! i'lg, a. disgrace and a reproach to the town, and their improvement is a matter of urgency. The day of patch-work has gone; the roads will have to be remade, and on a different pfttn from the one that has held service in the past. Roadmaking is becoming a science, and the road of to-morrow will be one suited to motor traffic and possessing some degree of permanency. We do not, however, wish to discuss this aspect further just now. We desire to point out that the Council might have gone to a little more trouble, and at least have arrang-

Ed for twq or three of their number to inspect the modern motor 'buses that are now running in different parts of the Dominion before coming to a decision in regard to the electric overhead system. If may be, of course, that, the motor 'bus would not prove suitable, and t.hat the dearer system, of overhead electric will prove more ollicient anil economical in the long run. but. at present there is a volume of evidence in favor of the motor 'bus that cannot and .should not be lightly set aside.