THE TRAM ROUTE.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 July 1916, Page 13

THE TRAM ROUTE.

WHY IT WAS EXCEEDED. At the meeting of the Works Committee of the New Plymouth Borough Council on Monday night, the engineer (Mr. E. 0. Clayton) wrote:—

As requested, I herewith supply the reason why the estimate for the tram route lias been exceeded. 1. Not being able to obtain Soltar in anything like sufficient quantity (since the end of January) to tar the road as the metal was laid, a great amount of the work had to be.gone over a second time, that is to say, it had to be resurfaced before it could be. tarred. 2. The original contract (which required the contractors for the tram line to tar same eight feet wide) being finished months ahead of the train route, and the obligation in the contract to tar having been cut out, it was necos-sni-v when the council was in a position to do the tarring, to have to re-scarify, fork over and re-metal practically the whole of this area (eight feet wide), and to do this work at an additional cost above what it could have been done for had 'the material been available. .1. Ten per cent, increase in wages since April 1. 4. Increased cost of hiring all hired teams. 5. Increased freight charges.

0. Increased cost'of fuel and other materials necessary for carrying on the work.

7. The standard allowance of threequarters of a gallon of tar to the square yard for two coats not proving to be enough to do the work and allow for leakages and unavoidable losses. Approximately est of tram route over the estimate o. 'February, 1010: £ s. d. Cost of new scarifier, freight and fitting 132 0 0 Hire of borough poller 402 12 10 Present value of tools and plant bought 50 0 0

£384 12 10

Reconstruction of Bevon Road from above Hobson Street to t!lo Honui (excavation and re-metalling) 450' 0 0 Ten per cent, increase on wages since April 1 33 16 0 Ten per cent, increase on liircd teams since April 1 51 14 0 Ten per cent, increase on fuel and materials since April 1 1 0 0 Ten per cent, increase on freight charges since April 1 15 0 0

One thousand gallons Soltar used on St. Auhyn Street and charged to Tram limifa 5(1 0 0 '£oo7 10 0 Total r '. £llO2 2 10 The extra cost incurred in having to re-vearify the tram track, re-surface same with metal and other portions of the road on account of it having been laid down so long before it was possible to tar, is difficult to say more than approximately, but it. would be about £IOOO.

The extra quantity of Sol tar and Tiestnr required cost approximately i'soo.

Councillor F. E. \Vil?on said that, in view of circumstances that had arisen, lie would move that the report be received. The motion was carried.