WESTOWN TRAMS.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 August 1922, Page 7

WESTOWN TRAMS.

(To the Editor.) Sir,—Tn your issue of August 15, our worthy mayor is reported to have said: “It had already been agreed that the trams should be extended as far as David Street, and with that the Westown people are satisfied.” Evidently our mayor has consulted residents of. Dartmoor and Wallace Place, as the proposed terminus David Street is nearly a mile from the present ’bus terminus, Wallath Road, the intervening distance being very exposed and

bleak. I do not see how the residents of Upper Westown can be satisfied when they have at present a fair ’bus service, with an expectation of a good one within six months, and then be asked to give this up and walk to David Street, carrying their pareels and young children. In the summer it would not be a great hardship, but during the winter months it would be a great tax on the women, many of whom live some distance off the main road, and who have to go to and fro to do their shopping, especially when they have been used to a ’bus service, and have not any other means of transit. It seems to une, Mr. Editor, that If the council when raising the loan could add £5OOO or £6OOO. it would enable the line to be extended to Omata Rond, the latter : portion of the route being very inexpensive to construct. This would then serve the who’e of the Westown residents, and eliminate the cost of another loan for this district for many years. If this extension is not carried out with the lower portion, it will be a very long time before it is completed, as I consider it only fair that Vogeltown should have the trams next. They are asking to have them constructed to the present ’bus terminus nr thereabouts. This will mean when the extensions are completed, Vogeltown, a inuieh smaller suburb, will have a complete tram service, whilst. Westown will have only a half-way tram service, and no 'bus. As a business proposition, I think the council should consider the extension of the trams complete, ns far as possible, to one suburb first, which will mean the other suburbs get a better ’bus service until they, too, get their trams complete. If the service cannot he extended to Omata Road when the lower portion is being constructed, the residents of Upper Westown would sooner see the Vogeltown route completed first, as this would give - them a good ’bus service until such time as the council could see their way to lay the trams to the borough boundary, the present ’bus terminus. Upper Westown has several growing attractions, such as two large reserves, and the nurseries, all of which are rvenue producing and are drawing greater numbers each year. Trusting our worthy mayor and councillors

will consider well the hardship they are about to impose on the heavily-rated borough residents of this progressive district, who have always supported the council In any forward movement, and that they will adopt the same method with the tram extensions as they have with street construction. One street at a time, completed throughout, is a better proposition and ultimately more satisfactory to the ratepayers and council, than a little work done on many streets. Would this not be so with tram construction?.—lam. etc., UPPER WESTOWN.