QUAY STREET RAILWAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 115, 16 May 1924, Page 5

QUAY STREET RAILWAY.

"A PRIVATE TRAMWAY." FIVE TEARS' LICENSE GRANTED COUXCIL OPENS BACK DOOR. The City Council move to construct a tramway loop at Quay Street has been followed up by a request from the Harbour Board'for e-license to run "ft private trairiwav" on sidings to be laid in Quay Street. This request was embodied in a report of the committee of the whole council, submitted to last evening's meeting of the City Council with a recommendation, -which was approved, that the license be granted. The communication from the secretary of the Harbour Board stated that in connection with the agreement entered into last year, between the council and the board, regarding'the widening of Quay Street, and the linking up of Prince's wharf with the railway sidings on Quay Street, he had been directed to inform the council that the board was willing to renew the offer then made; viz, to sell to the council the fee simple of the site of Gladstone Biuldinge and the adjoining section for the sum of £9049, and to give the land in front of its oftice. for the purpose -of -widening Quay Street; provided the council would agree to give the board the right to lay sidings on- Quay Street and operate them as a private tramway. License for Fire Years. The committee of the whole council made the , following recommendation:— In regard to lots 50 and 51, Queen and Little Queen Streets, your commit- | tee recommends that the proposals of I last year be confirmed, and that in con--1 sideration of same the council iseue a I tramway license, in terms of the Municipal Corporations Act, for a period of five years, and that it 'be a condition of the license that the Auckland Harbour Board will control the traffic and operate under such tramway license .in such a manner as will safeguard the safety and convenience, of the public. I Councillor A. J. Entrican thought the : committee's recommendation did not go far enough, and he moved that the -words "to the satisfaction of the council or to the satisfaction of the city . engineer," be added. The recommendation was simply that the traffic should be controlled so as to safeguard the safety, and convenience of the public. The Mayor: We must avoid the onus which you are throwing on us 'by your amendment. We must throw the onus on the Harbour Board. Councillor C. H. Furness seconded the amendment, which -was approved. Council's Action Deprecated. Councillor J. B. Paterson said he did ■ not like the idea of giving a license for i live years. It seemed to him the J council was flouting, the legislation- He was prepared to say that the railway would come along in time, but he thought the council was opening the back door and making itself a scapei goat. I Councillor Bloodworth: I am in agree- ! ment with the recommendation, but I do J not approve of the method adopted to I get this extra railway. It seems to ms . like a body conspiring to defeat the I wishes of- the people's representatives. 1 •do not think for a moment that the : Harbour Board will get this authorise- ! tion. and I do not think for a moment t that the 'people of Auckland will airse !to the railway being laid down under these conditions. . \lhe recommendation of the committee, I with the amendment, was,adopted on the motion of the Mayor. It was mentioned Iby the Mayor that the committe had i spent practically a whole evening in dealing with the matter. Councillor J. A. C. Allum moved that the tramway loop in Quay Street be ; authorised, but withdrew his motion ' when the Mayor explained that financial ;as well as engineering dfficulties stood in. I the way. Among other things the ! council could not decide the position of '; the loop until the question of widening the street had been settled.