THE REMUERA TRAMS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXII, Issue 48, 26 February 1901, Page 3

THE REMUERA TRAMS.

GOVERNMENT INQUIRY,

The Government inquiry held by Mr Donne into the objections raised to the concession granted by the Remuera Road Board to the Auckland Electric Tramways Company was concluded yesterday afternoon. The objectors offered no evidence throughout the inquiry. Thomas Buddie, solicilor, expressed his approval of the proposed route, |and thought that it would be for the j benefit of the district. ) Mr Donne said that it seemed to ] him that the whole of the trouble ; had arisen through some of the ratei payers trying to force the company jto extend their line further than they had originally intended. Alder Fisher deposed to canvassing for the Remuera Road Board with a j view to testing the feeling of the i ratepayers and residents of the dis- ; tricts. Of the 391 ratepayers on the | roll 313 signed a statement approving of the present agreement. Of the rest 31 lived out of the district, 29 could not be seen, 9 were indifferent, and S were opposed to the scheme. There was also a petition in favour of the scheme, signed by .'!sl residents. Some 40 people had signed the counter petition first and the Board's petition afterwards.

Arthur C. Whitney, a member o* the Remuera Road Board, said that when he saw that the company would not give way in the matter of the tram extension to Mountain Road he withdrew his opposition. The present scheme satisfied the district in every way. Matthew Clark, merchant, expressed himself as being satisfied with the present arrangement.

C. R. Tylden, solicitor, said that he favoured the present scheme, rather than get nothing, but he thought that the residents would be better satisfied if the trams were run along Remuera Road to Greenlane.

.V. J. Dinnison, clerk to the Remuera Road Board, produced the minutes of a meeting held on December 13th last when a unanimous resolution was passed approving of the scheme with the Tramway Company. There were 24 houses situated -on the main road between Victoria Avenue and Mountain Road, and in Victoria Avenue about 35 houses, and in Vincent Road about 50 houses. The residents would be reasonably well served by the present scheme. As to the statement that the residents had not been afforded an opportunity of expressing an opinion on the subject, witness said that the matter had been duly advertised. Some 117 . acres were available for building along the deviation route to the racecourse.

Paul M. Hansen, attorney for the Auckland Electric Tramways Company, said that in the original suburban scheme Remuera was not included. Mr Bingham, however, made certain promises and he felt himself morally bound to e__tenid the'trams to*Remuera. The Home office were not at first willing to do this, but on account of Mr Bingham's promises they agreed to do so, but stated distinctly that they would not go beyond Victoria Avenue. Representations had been made to witness to extend the line to Greenlane, but the Home office absolutely declined to do so. The chief ground for refusing this was that the company had its hands full, and bad quite enough line to construct within tlie given time, without going beyond Victoria Avenue. Further, if they granted this extension they would have to grant others. The statement that the company was interested in land in the vicinity of Victoria. Avenue was incorrect. The objections to the Remuera concession had caused a delay of three months in the whole scheme. The connecting 'bus service would tender every tram arriving and departing. The fare would be one penny between Victoria Avenue and Mountain Road. The company made the racecourse deviation because the permanent way was to be laid for them, and because the everyday traffic from the vicinity of Lower Vincent Road was more paying than that from Mountain Road. The Remuera traffic itself was not considered a payable one, but the racecourse traffic would be a payable one, as they anticipated taking most of the people to the course who now went by 'bus. The Greenlane corner was net suitable for tramway construction, and presented physical difficulties owing to the sharp angle of the corner, and the steepness of the grade. The extension to Greenlane was included in the company^ scheme of extensions. The company had absolutely decided to withdraw from the district for the present if the Order-in-Coun-cil in the terms applied for were refused. Even if everything was done with the greatest despatch, it would be three months before the deed of delegation was signed by the various local bodies authorising the work to be done. The company was about to finance at Home, and it was expedient ! that they should have everything arranged as soon as possible. The company had withdrawn from the Mount Eden district altogether because objections were raised similar to those in Remuera. This concluded the evidence. Mr Donne promised to make his rer port to the Governor with the greatest possible despatch.