The Te Aroha Tramway.

Thames Star, Volume XV, Issue 4681, 8 January 1884, Page 3

The Te Aroha Tramway.

The following report was read at the meeting of the Piako County Council on Friday :—" The tramway at Te Aroha has now been at work seven weeks. Con: sidering *the extraordinary difficulties which had to be grappled with, it worked well. At one or (wo points some necessary alterations were required. These have been attended to during the holidays. The locomotive will be at work on the first engine grade in a few days. The expenses of working the line have been heavier than will now be necessary, both in numbers of men and daily pay. The men employed have been reduced to the lowest number consistent with efficiency. The cbminittee recommend that 8s per dey of eight hours be the daily pay for competent bands. By way of further reduc- : \ng cost of transit, the committee recom mend that four active plough horses be purchased, to cost not over £15 each. The . committee recommend that all goods, mining requisites of all kinds, be sent up the tramway at s charge of.one shilling per cwt, or for any package weighing under one cwt a uniform charge of one shilling

for each such parcel, shall be made. Tliat -V^to carry out these recommendations the V. erection of a small crane, not to cost over ten pounds, be authorised, together with the purchase of a weighing machine to iip to five cwt. The committee estimate the revenue for the month of January (o be £250, and if the foregoing recommend ations be adopted, the expenditure for that month will not exceed £185. When a second battery starts the expenditure ■> will not be mucL increased, while the revenue will be much larger."