THE TRAMWAY QUESTION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 215, 30 January 1913, Page 5

THE TRAMWAY QUESTION.

MOTOR "BUS mi KUXTRIO CAR?, Mr. Walter liewley writes as follows: I am indeed pleased to see that in your leading article of .Monday you are urging that the motor 'bus should he given further consideration, rind the thanks of the ratepayers are due to you for advocating that more than one side of the question should be put before them, and I should now like to make some further comments. In the first place, I consider that ,the ronrse of the Council has taken in dealing with one system of transit only is altogether wrong, and that it should have obtained all possible information on the progress and prospects of the motor 'bus and placed it before the ratepayers at the same time as the tramway proposals. It would appear that Mr', Clarke's report was all the information that the members had before them, and that report was absolutely worthless as throwing any light on the question. Since I last wrote .on this matter, sonic months ago, the career of the motor 'bus has been one of continuous and rapid progress. Tramway companies or municipalities that have found it necessary to extend their systems have-put on 'bus services in preference to laying more rails. Air. lilaek endeavors to (hrow dust in the eyes.of opjionciits by referring to the success of the motor 'bus in London, as if that were the out,- place in which the motor 'ln- has i..":'n a commercial success. I would, however, mention Croydon in particular, where the competition of the motor 'bus has been so absolutely ruinous to the tramway that the tramway

authorities have liecn moving heaven and earth, unsuccessfully, to get various logi.siiilivo restrictions placed on tlie motor 'bus. Now.-further, with regard to the attitude of the Council as a whole and some members in particular, it would appear that they made up their minds two years ago, when Mr. Black first reported,, and they have been deaf and blind to what has taken place with other systems since. Three members of the Council were in Egmont street the other day, and they expressed themselves as being determined to carry the proposals through, no matter what the opposition was. I say this is not the right attitude to approach a question in which they are acting as custodians of the public interest, and the quotation, "the judgment's weak when prejudice is strong" appears to (it the position. I would ask how many of the councillors have fitted themselves to consider the questions involved by posting themselves as to the details of modern road construction or the improvements in the motor 'bus during the last two or three years? I think lam correct in slating that the majority, at any rate, has been content to accept without question the ■ - ipse dixit of an electrical engineer'. Would any sane business man go to a cement manufacturer to advise him whe- •» tber he should employ timber' or concrete for building purposes?

I would now refer to, the..mi§leading and unsatisfactory way that some of thte '* information has been placed before the ratepayers. I have before me" a local . paper of January 25, page 4. (I am not blaming the newspapers). In big type is "A supplementary report," and farther down are big type headings, "Working expenses" and "Estimated revenue." 1 -'' Now many, like myself, would .glance at the latter'headings to get at the pith of £.-■ the matter, and would see that the estimated loss on working was £395, but I was at once struck with the fact that ? 5 per cent, had onlv been charged ,on\ '. £30,726. ■' I then read the first part more carefully and found that these were extracts from the first report. 1 ' No estimate has been presented- so -fan .for v the ratepayers to consider, bevond some unwarranted generalities hv Mr. "Black, in which he admits thai he has had,'to estimate an increase in Jhe'workings'expenses of £4OO per annum, and in addition to that must he added 5 per cent, on the difference between his first esli- , ■mate of ■£30,726 and the £55,000 now to ' be borrowed, and of course spent, which will add a sum of £750 per annum to the estimated loss. The lo<s would -- therefore be £395, £4OO and £750. a .' total of £1545 per annum. . j Let me further point out that the in- ''. creased cost of the tramway proposals in the last two years i-- about 15 per j cent. Against the above io s. Mr. Black estimates an increased revenue of £IOOO,. , per annum from sources which do not ' at present exist. I should call this wild-cat finance. > T do not know what '„ our councillors consider it. »- ,i

Again. Mr. Black estimates ouv popu- • laation at a considerably greater figure than it actually is, and modestly esti- ~ mutes (he increase at 1(1 per cent, per ' annum, whereas I think I am right itr ~-, sta(■in;- (hat the growth since the pre- : violin census has only heen about 10 per , cent, for the whole period. lam quite':i of opinion that we are going to see a much more rar.id growth in the future, i' lmt T would point out that growth of population is hardly a feature in the contioversy. as if the tramway benefited by the growth of population the motor 'bus . service would equally do so. ,■,....« T do not propose to refer further t<y * his figures at present, as this letter is getting rather long, and T have not even' now elaborated the matters touched on ' as f would have liked to do. Before closing, however, I would like to refer as briefly as possible to what I believe : is the proper course, not only for the town streets but eventually for the country main roads. I would advocate, therefore, that a sum of £50,000 should be authorised, to be borrowed as required, for the purpose of laying some form of tarred macadam on the main lines of traffic. This system of road making has been proved to be an absolute economy wherever tried, and, taking Elthani ■ as n near-to-home example, T was informed by a leading Eltham resident that their well-laid streets had resulted in a saving in maintenance of at least £IOOO. Such a formation would he possible from Fitzroy to the Breakwater, to the racecourse, to the Recreation Grounds, to Vogeltown and Westown. What a comfort to every user of these roads! No dust in Devon street to worry the public or tradespeople, as with such a surface the latest idea in street cleaning, the motor vacuum cleaner, which sucks up all street refuse, could be used with advantage, and with a motor "bus service traffic could be dealt with on all and special occasions, and to wherever required.