TAKAPUNA TRAMS.

Auckland Star, Volume LI, Issue 215, 8 September 1920, Page 5

TAKAPUNA TRAMS.

COMMISSION STILI. SITTING. AX ENGINEER'S TESTIMONY. LINE TOO LIGHT. 3ETONPORT ROUTE PREFERABLE. Tlic sitting of the Takapuna Tramvays Commission continued to-day. Mr. •:. "C. Cutten, S.M., presided, the other nembers of the commission being Mr. P. :sarr and Mr. F. Black. Mr. A. S. C. Urovrn represents the company, Mr. F. Cowrie is for the Borough Council, and Sir. A. M. Gould represented the Ratelayers' Association. After Mr. Gould had opened hie case yesterday afternoon with a statement ot Hie various allegations of l>ad policy and mismanagement made against the company by the Ratepayers' Association, •nunsel called A. M. Seaman, accountant, ivho had examined the company's books. He said the company's proposal to double the tram fares would give a net profit of about 13i per cent, on the whole of the share capital, exclusive ot the boat profits. The request for a 50 per cent, increase made by the company in August last year would have given the company 12i per cent, on the whole tram and ferry undertaking, even with abnormal repairs and depreciation accounts. The proposal for a 100 per cent, increase on the trains would add IS per cent, to his own travelling expenses, and this increase would be higher if school children were in ft home. The suggested readjustment would disturb and probably depreciate land values in the borough. In his examination of the books witness found that tlie company had started with insufficient capital.

TO-DAY'S PROCEEDINGS. This morning Mr. Brown questioned Mr. Seaman at great length on hie evidence. Witness wanted to see an hourly service round the lake. Regarding the 7.30 a.m.. 4.45 and 5.43 p.m. trips, he still thought they were necessary for the public convenience. If these trips were going to cost the company an extra £2000 a year, it would be too great a cost and would take the matter beyond public convenience. Again a misunderstanding arose, and Mr. Brown stated to the Court that the company suggested a mere adjustment without any increase in the revenue. They asked for 100" per cent increase in (he tram fares, and they were willing to have the boat fare restricted in {he same ihnree that was made by the TVvonport Ferry Company. If the commission could not see it* wav to allow the 100 per cent increase, then it mk r ht be prepared to consider aSO per cent rise, and the. company was still I prepared to enter into an Agreement J ehnrtres on the boat. i WitnpM said that if the tntnl charge ; remained the same, and what eamf 1 off the boat fare was added to the tram *it would mean an increased revenue j because of inter-stop traffic on the i cars. This adjustment would tend tr I increase land values in Pavswater, <i"r i would tend to retard values at th( I further sections of the line. wii.vrv Tin- - i.ivp v"i« r.vm.

Alfred Oreville Walker, civil engineer, J' of Auckland, said he was for eight years engineer-in-chargo of the Auckland electric tramway track. Ho. was familiar with Takapiina. and had taken a great! interest in the work of laying down tin , ; 'Tnkapuna tramline. The original grade | on tin , Bayswater rise was one in i">. Witness diil not think steam haulage I economical on such a grade. Certain (conditions aggravated this. I,ater on| 'tin- grade was eased, but it was still tool I steep for .-learn traction to he economical. On the New Zealand railways a yiade of one in 50 was the Standard.! The worst grade on the railways was It one in 35, such as that at Mamaku Hill, < Rotorua. If he had Keen setting a route 1 from Auckland to Takapima he would I not have chosen the present one. He i would have taken the route from Devon- < port to Takapunn. He would not say that was a 'better engineering route. There would have been only one grade on the Devonport route approaching Bayswater in running costs.. From the revenue point of view he would most decidedly have adopted Devonport route. It would tap a densely-populated area, and would have been revenue-pro-during from the start. Considering all things, the Deronport route was much the belter one. Tv his opinion the company did not lay its tracks as they should have done in order that the tracks should be suitable for future electric traction, and would stand up to ■ traffic. The average ballast was only six 5 inches. TTie effect of this lijrbt construe- • tion would be to tend to a considerable ;, ;imount of movement due to the vibration of the tracks. On the clay areas ' this <!epth of bnllnst was not sufficient to ■ sustain the traffic. This would mean 1 pvessive. cost of maintenance owing to failure to expend the proper capital at c ' the beginning. ' The witness, when interrogated by Mr. Brown, was not willing to express any; opinion on financial matters concerning the line anil its traffic Mr. Brown then told the Court that there could never have been the most remote possibility of the present comp.inv constructing a line from Takapuna to Devonport. The scheme had been started by men who were interested in '" the land at Takapuna. The inquiry is proceeding.