TRAMWAYS FINANCE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 188, 18 January 1915, Page 4

TRAMWAYS FINANCE.

There was no occasion for tin: Mayor to justify his action in using our correspondence columns ''to amplify the reported reasons -for the decision of the Tramways Committee," for lie was only making good use of the space provided in the Daily News for the discussion of public matters. The Mayor's letter was particularly welcome in one respect, for it completely vindicated the article to which it was meant to reply. The Mayor claims that, after providing for the total cost of the work, and "every contingency which the experience of the consulting engineer could foresee," there would lie a. shortage of £3500, The crucial point of that contention is to be found in the words quoted above, and it will be apparent to even the most casual observer that the danger is not in what can be foreseen, but in the unexpected—that which cannot be estimated. Evidently His Worship is of ' that opinion, too, for he remarks: "It is I impossible to say what extra expense i would be involved if bad country is exi posed in carrying out the works. It 1 might be a few hundreds af pounds, or [ thousands of pounds, and for tins reason ' I am satisfied that the course now pro. • posed is the proper one." Considering , that the course proposed is to absolutely , and finally limit the contingency allow- , ance to £2OOO, to cover all the extras . and unforeseen expenses, there would not appear to be much eaiiso for satisfaction at blocking the way to raising any further money that was required, as would be the case by resorting to the 10 per cent, allowance The Town Clerk, at the foot of bis very clear financial statement, very properly placed on record that after raising the 10 per cent, only £2OOO would remain available for contingencies, adding that it was an exceedingly small amount, considering the nature of the work to be effected. Coming from such a trustworthy source, and based on a long experience of contract work, that warning deserves serious consideration, especially in view of the fact that the consulting engineer was parti- .' ciilarly guarded in his advice on this matter, indicating that the Council would be ''fairly'' justilied in going on with the work. Again, the Mayor asks: "Who can say what such allowance (for contingencies) •should be?" Surely that implies the duty of making an exceptionally liberal allowance, and not a moderate one (that may easily be exceeded), when further mono y for the purpose cannot be raised *lt is this dead wall at the end of the 10 per cent, money that is the danger, whereas by going to the ratepayers for an additional loan, not only could further money be raised—with their consent —but only such an amount need be obtained as may be required. There should be no difficulty in fixing the amount for a fresh loan. The only point is to ask for a wide margin, it being understood that no extravagance would be permitted, and that the authority was only to be used for essen-

Unl requirements. What we advocated, and still advocate,' is - that the rate- i payers should be trusted to protect the : Councillors from assuming a responsibility ,in tramway finance that has a great clement of risk. They should also be given the opportunity to sanction the suggested extension to the top of A-or-ley street, and so complete the pn .jnt systco. That extension would t;. i a : population of 700 or 800, and if the engineer's basis of seventeen shillings per ■ head per year is correct, the addition would bring in at least £6OO a year, besides catering for visitors to the hospital, Western Park. West End bowling green, golf links, etc., and pave the way in a year or two for extensions to Westowu and Vogeltown, while it would only cost £3£2o. There is one other matter on which the ratepayers may well feel anxious. The tramways loan makes no provision for making good the roads other than that particular portion over which the line passes Unless the line is to bear the brunt of all the road trailic, aiul lie speedily in need of extensive repairs, the roadway must be made thoroughly cllieient and tar-sprayed, There are portions of the road that will nave to be cut down, and other parts raised. This work may entail any amount from £OOOO to £IO,OOO, and it is only right the ratepayers should understand that they will be called upon to sanction a loan for that purpose. Even if the minimum of patching is done, the expense would be well in the region of £2OOO. Moreover, the question may arise during the six months' maintenance by the contractors of compensation for damage caused by a concentration of traffic on the tramline, owing to the bad state of the road on both sides. This matter in no way ifleets the loan proposed by <>. Kibby, ivhieh for the present is the chief question to be settled, and the decision ar•ived at will be of moment to the rcsilents of the borough. As there is no iced for any definite decision to be mule as to raising further capital for iome months, it would seem that the ,afe course to adopt would be to wait mtil the money is required, and then he Council will most likely be in a losition to arrive at the most politic ourse of action to adopt.