THE WESTOWN TRAMS.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 August 1922, Page 4

THE WESTOWN TRAMS.

DISCUSSION BY COUNCIL. PROPOSAL TO TAKE P&LL. At last night’s meeting of the New Plymouth Borough Council, the discussion on, the estimates of the proposed tramway extensions to Westown was continued from the point where it was interrupted at tho last meeting. Cr. J. Kibby said that the total cost was estimated at £19,000 for a distance of one mile and six chains, which worked out at £222 per chain. If they cbuld not build tramways cheaper than that, they should leave them alone. They would ne overloading the trams. He thought they should get more details. The Mayor asked if it was vital. They might get the work done for leas, and perhaps the engineer was keeping his estimates on the right side. Cr. Kibby continued that the present proposals would give only an additional section—one more twopence. He would like to see estimates put in for taking the trams right out to the end of Westown, where he saw a paying proposition from the commencement. It would pay interest and working expenses in the first 12 months. He could not see where it was going to pay to spend £19,000 and go only one section. He moved .that ttyey get estimates for extending the tramwwy to Walla th Road.

Cr. J. Brown seconded. The Mayor said he would vote against 4 the proposal, for the simple reason it wai altogether out of time. The motion originally was that the trams should b< extended to David Street, and that wa> carried by the present council. He hs4 gone out to Westown and had met tb< people there, and they were we’l satisfied that the trams should go to David Street There was no object in getting the estimates unless the intention was to lay tin line out there. He would certainly oppos* laying the trams to the boundaries of borough, because they could not afford it. Cr. R. L. Parkin* stated that be would oppose the motion, but there was something in what Cr. Kibby had said. Cr. R. A. Large was also the motion, because the people of Westown were quite satisfied. Dealing with costs, be asked Mr. Bartley if some overhead gear was not included in connection with the estimates. He . also suggested that when they called for tenders they would have a margin. Cr. V. Griffiths was also in agreement, adding that while the costs appeared high on the surface, only the tenders would tell whether they were high or not. The motion was then put and was lost on the voices. The Mayor then gave notice to move the following motion at the next meeting of the council: “That a poll of the ratepayers be taken on the proposal to borrow £19,000 for the construction of an extension of the council’s overhead electric tramway system, with rails and permanent way, from the present terminus near the intersection of Devon and Morley Streets ..o David Street, via Morley Street, Wallace - Place and Tukapa Street; for purchasing, j faking, or otherwise acquiring or providing necessary land, buildings, rolling stock, shelter sheds, machinery, plant, and materials therefor; for payment of compensation to persons injuriously affected thereby; for widening, forming, constructing and improving the streets, carriage-ways, and footways on the route of such extension; and for any other purposes incidental or iu relation to any of the above-mentioned purposes. The sum proposed to be borrowed for all '’such purposes is £19,000, at a rate of interest not exceeding £5 10.4 per cent, per annum, with a sinking fund of one and one-half per cent, per annum additional. The proposed security for the said loan of £19,000 and the interest and sinking fund thereon, is an annually-recur-ring special rate of seven twenty-fourths of a penny in the pound on the ratable value on the basis of the unimproved value of all ratable property in the borough.”