THE REMUERA TRAMS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXII, Issue 47, 25 February 1901, Page 5

THE REMUERA TRAMS.

GOVERNMENT INQUIRY,

A Government inquiry into the objec- ■ tions raised to the intended point of terminus of the electric tram service to Remuera was opened this morning In St. Luke's Hall. The inquiry was conducted by Mr T. E. Donne, Secretary for Industries and Commerce for New Zealand. It will be remembered tnat the 'Remuera Road Board recently applied for an Order-1 in-Council to enable the Electric Tramway j Company to construct a lino througl'i Remuera to Victoria Avenue, with brand) j line to the rncp.courso. This point of terminus was objected to by some of the residents living beyond Victoria Avenue, who held that the point of trrminus should be Greenlano corner, and as a result of representations to the Government the present inquiry was ordered. The Tramway Company was represented by Mr P. M. Hansen. and the Remuera Road Board by Mr \V. J. Parker (Chairman.) and Messrs A. C. Whitney, T. Buddie and H. Johnston (members). Mr W. J. Dinnifion (clerk to the Board) rwas also present. Mr John Peach was the only objector present. Mr Gillies represented the Remuera Road Board. Mr Donne Hrst read the objections in detail. These set forth that it was an injustice to Remuera to establish a terminus at Victoria Avenue, that the question had never really been before the ratepayers, and that three members of the Board had taken upon themselves to sign the concession. William J. Parker (Chairman of the Remuera Road Board) deposed that the Board were unanimous on the question of the concession. They did their best to get the Tramway Company to make their terminus at Mountain Road (beyond Victoria Avenue), but the Company refused. The Company informed the. Board that they would abandon the whole line if they were not allowed to terminate at Victoria Avenue, with the racecourse deviation. An agreement was'made with the Tramway Company for a 'bus extension to Mountain Road and the bottom of Victoria Avenue, which satisfied most of the opposition. Before this* agreement 'was made witness considered that the objectors had a genuine grievance. The establishment of the tram service would save the Board some £300 a year in repairs to the roads of the district, as it would do away with the present very heavy 'bus traffic. On race days the traffic was exceptionally heavy. The present race traffic wa? dangerous. The Board employed a canvasser to test the feelings of the ratepayers first and then residents. The district was practically unanimous in favour of the present agreement with the Tramway Company. By Mr Hansen: He could not say what would be a fair limit of time within which the Company would be obliged to complete extensions. By Mr Donne: The delay and inconvenience in transferring passengers would be trifling-. The extension of the line to Greenlane was more important to the Remuera people than the branch .line to the racecourse. No part of the cost or maintenance of the line through The golf links to the racecourse would fall on the Remuera ratepayers. H. Johnson, a member of the Remuera Road Board, also save evidence. The feeling of the district was in favour of the trains being established, nnd the people of Remuera would like to see the line extended to Greenlane. with an ultimate extension to St. Heller's. By Mr Gillies: If it were a question of having a tram service over the proposed route, or no tram service at all, the feeling of the district was strongly in favour of the proposed route. James Alexander Pond, residing between Mountain Road and the Greenlane corner, said that when he was first informed of the agreement between the Board and the company, he was strongly opposed to it. as the removal of the 'bus service would leave all those living1 beyond Victoria Avenue unserved. All the pec pie in the neighbourhood opposed the agreement until he obtained from Mr Hanson an agreement to run a 'bu.s servic.o from Victoria. Avenue to Greenlane and Mountain Road. He obtained 51 signatures to a statement agreeing to the agreement, with a proviso as to the connecting 'bus service. They wore perfectly satisfied with the present arrangement. The company had agreed to meet the trams at all hours. There were no dissentients to his request for signatures to this statement.

Mr Donne here produced the later petition presented' to the Government protesting1 against the present agreement. Mr Pond said there were some 7 or 8 mimes on this petition that were on the statement he drew up.

Witness said that the present 'bus sorvlca was in some ways unsatisfactory. The majority of the people living near witness would rather have the 'bus extension to Mountain Road than the tram extension to Greenland corner.

The inquiry is proceeding.