TRAMWAY EXTENSIONS.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 March 1920, Page 5

TRAMWAY EXTENSIONS.

VOGELTOWN'S CLAIMS. I LARGE DEPUTATION TO COUNCIL. A largo representative deputation, consisting of between forty and iifty ratepayers and residents of the Vogeltown district, waited on the New Plymouth Borough Council last night with a view to urging that when a poll is taken for any tramway extensions the Vogeltown extension be included in the proposals submitted to ratepayers. Mr. C. Carter was chief spokesman, and presented a largely-signed petition in favor of tlie proposal supported by the deputation. The purpose of the deputation and the petition was to show the population in the area through which the tram route was proposed to be taken. Only those who resided in the area, and were likely to patronise the service, had bseu invited to sign the petition, but not all those had been canvassed for- support. The general proposal of the petitionera was for the trams to be taken from Devon Street via Liardet Street, Gilbert Street to Carrington Road. All the residents on streets leading to Liardet Street had been regarded as likely patrons of a tram service along that route, and would be better served than by a service along any other route. It had been ascertained that there were 1012 residents within the area along that route, and it was further pointed out that there were 850 scholars attending the Technical College and Central Schools on five days a week. There was the further consideration that the line would feed the Pukekura Park, and the number of passengers who would be visitors to the park would be difficult to estimate. THE POPULATION OF VOGELTOWN. Mr. Carter pointed to the fact that onefifth of the population of New Plymouth was within the area of the proposed extension line. Thai was a very strong reason why consideration should be given to the request of the Vogeltown residents. The strong insistence of the deputation was that when any poll was taken for tramway extension- to apportion of the "borough, the Vogeltown extension should be included in the vote. The Council was reminded of the promise made by a previous Council that the two suburbs would be considered together when extensions were contemplated. The deputation was anxious that the proposals of the Vogeltown residents should be submitted to the ratepayers. They were not advocating the deferring of proposals for extensions in other directions. The Council liad apparently been prepared to recommend the expenditure of .C22,OCi) on suburban extensions. Vogeltown was entitled to a fair share in that expenditure. IMhe Council was prepared to authorise the same sum to be spent at Vogeltown, then there was nothing more to be said. Mr. Carter further pointed out, however, that the section of line from Devon Street to the Tark would be .the best paying section of .the whole service. It would in all probability be made a profitable paying ijj le f rom t } le commencement. The estimated cost of carrying the line a further mile to the top of the Vogeltown hill would, he supposed, be .€14,000, and towards that there would be 000 to 700 Vogeltown residents who would help to pay for the line by patronage.

A ROUND CIRCUIT. The speaker said it tvas hoped that part of the line would be only a portion of a scheme to embrace a circuit right round via Avenue Road to Devon Street, along which there was land just as suitable for residential purposes as in any other parts of the borough. Any losses on the service had to be borne' by the whole of the ratepayers, and many had been contributing to the loss for the years since the service was installed, but they did not begrudge it. Mr. Carter said the Vogeltown residents were in deadly earnest, as they felt that the present was the psychological moment, and if the extension' to Vogeltown was not submitted and carried now, it. would be a very long time before it would be included in the train service. In handing the petition to the Mayor, he urged" that the Council shotlld give sympathetic consideration to the proposals submitted. Messrs. 0. W. Browne, Newton King, and C. E. Bellringer supported Mr. Carter, all urging the justice of the claim of Vogeltown to consideration. Mr. (J. W. Browne then referred to the question of proposed subdivisions of properties on Victoria Road. Vogeltown, and urged that no plans should be approved which did not provide for complete compliance with the terms of the Public Works Act in regard to the width of roads. He pointed out that along portions of the main road certain land had been ■ dedicated ior street widening, and the deputation asked for an assurance that no subdivision would be permitted without provision being made for a full chain road. Further reference was made to the tram route which was used as an argument in favor of a full width street. THE MAYOR'S REPLY. The Mayor expressed pleasure at seeing such a large deputation, which betokened a very live interest in the affairs of the district. In regard to the matter of tramway extension, he thought the deputation was under some misapprehension. The Council's resolution to proceed with estimates for the extension of the trams to Westown was passed with a proviso that when that work was completed the, estimates foiMhe Vogeltown extension should be got out. At that time, however, no route had been decided for the Vogeltown trams. The complete plans for the Westown route had been finished only a few weeks, and if Vogeltown -was to.be included in the poll it would inevitably delay matters for Westown a considerable time. He pointed ou,t that because the tram track was to be laid within Bft of the kerbing the consent of ninety per cent of the ratepayers had to be obtained to that, and the same procedure would have to be followed in Vogeltown, and that would take a considerable time. The Mayor assured the deputation that the Council would give due weight to the deputation's submissions, but he said whatever was carried, one or other of tlie districts would have to be done first. It did not follow, however, that because one was done first the other would be shelved. What the Council was greatly concerned to do was to extend the Morley i Street line in order to do away, if 50*.

sible, with the present loss on what a dead-end line. j In regard to the matter of widening the I Vogeltown Road, Mr. Clarke said tha i Council felt there was n6 advantage in i buying land for roading which was not j | necessary. At best, as the trams were to 3 I run up the side of the road, the strip i would only become c. wide footpath, and I be of no ndvantage. He pointed out that j as the telegraph and telephone Wires i were on the cast side of the road the> j tramway poles and wires would have to j go on the other side. 4 The Council's policy was only to take j land for road widening when such was '■■ absolutely necessary. The money had to I come out of road revenue, which could not ', bear the cost, and it would mean, if all ; the requests for road widening were fee- j ceded to, a loan would have to be floatMi- . ." -I Mr. Carter reiterated the intention of \ the Vogeltown residents to insist on aj being included in tramway extension pro- jl posals submitted to ratepayers. He said % a delay of six months to a iine that had ] been waiting several years could not bet ' | very serious, and if the Council* eatU 3 mate of a loss of £I7OO on the flrrt 3 year's running of the extended aerrica ; was right-there would be a saving ofl £BSO by delaying for that time. Her -i thanked the Council for the patient hear<./sW itig accorded the deputation, which theif J withdrew. .'■" 3 THE MATTER DEFERRED. The matter of the sub-division of Mr< | Cock's property and the widening of the J! road at the top of the Vogeltown bill wa» | then discussed, Crs. Short and Griffith*... J protesting against any action that did "*j not provide for a fiOft roadway. Cr. i Short pointed out it was a junction. of{ ' five streets, and full compliance with tho • 1 provisions of the Public Works Acb ' should be insisted upon. j Cr. Grifiiths supported Cr. Short, but * j urged that the Council should view the J road from above the Holdsworthy road, and he felt sure they would recognise that the road should be made to tha full width. Crs. Parkin and Sykes said they could not see on the face of it ihe need for tho : widening of the road, but they were prepared to reconsider the matter after inspecting the site. This course was agreed to, and tho matter was deferred pending such inspection. Tho question of the tramways exteni sion was deferred to a later meeting,