TRANSPORT BOARD.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 12, 15 January 1929, Page 8

TRANSPORT BOARD.

FORMAL CHANGE TO-MORROW. MEMORIES OP AUCKLAND TRAMS. WHEX 'HP." CAME FROM HORSES.

Auckland's trams and municipal buses will be formally taken over by the newly-formed Transport Board to-mor-row. The board is now actually in possession, but to-morrow is the formal and legal date upon which the change-over starts. Methods of transport are just now matters of the keenest difference of opinion, and nobody can prophesy the outcome, but all can agree that the board has come into existence at an extremely interesting time. There has been such a tremendous change in the methods of transport since the city of Auckland had tramways that people who were not born before the days of the motor car and the motor bus can have no idea of the leisurely way Auckland used to get about in the 'eighties, and even in the 'nineties. When one is whisked from one side of the town to the other in a fleet taxi one wonders how old Aucklanders could afford the time to make a leisurely voyage out to Onehunga. say, in one of those four-wheelers—the last of which departed from Shortland Street a year or so ago. And then the horse buses. The journey from Queen Street to Parnell or the Three Lamps occupied more time than most city workers now devote to their lunch. Those quaint old vehicles used to go clown Queen Street at a sober walk, picking up passengers and breaking into a decorous trot when the Customs Street corner was reached. One does not remember that any of the drivers ever had to face a charge of furious driving.

It was in 1884 that Aucklanders first had the privilege of riding in a tram car, a horse-drawn one, but still, a tram car, with a real conductor and tickets, and all. Looking at a photograph of one of these strange little contraptions one realises that they must have been very small. There were only five windows aside and each window meant a passenger. Five people on the platform meant a crowd. As the wheels were very near the middle and there was a good overhang fore and aft, this weight on the platform caused the vehicle, travelling at anything over two knots, to pitch exactly like a boat in a swell. These strange ark-like affairs were drawn by two horses, with an extra one hitched on at the foot of Wellesley Street for the pull uphill. A tram horse, when it was retired from the track, was generally considered to be the last word in "doneness." However, Aucklanders got a lot of pleasure out of this stoneape method of transport, and old hands still recall with something like awe the "enormous crowds" that used to be carried when there was a specially exciting football match at "Potter's Paddock," which is the Alexandra Park of to-dav.

The St. Helier's Bay and Northcote Land Company was the concern that started Auckland's trams. Then it was called the Auckland City and Suburban Tramways Company, but no matter what it called itself it did not prosper, and eventually the undertaking fell into the hands of the Bank of New Zealand, which in those days seemed to get landed with so many dud undertakings. Then in November, 1902, Auckland was thrilled by the sight of electric tramcars. Auckland really felt grownup. The owners of this wonderful means of transport were the Electric Tramways Company, which had bought out the interests of the horse-tram system. The new concern • was successful, thanks to very shrewd management, and regularly paid a dividend. The original capital was £150,000, but this was increased until it stood at £600,000, in addition to which first mortgage dejynture five per cent stock was issued to a total of £435,100. In 1919 the Auckland City Council bought the company out for £1,227,201, and has never ceased to be criticised for the bargain. But Auckland must have trams, and the new Transport Board takes over at a time when it requires very sound management indeed, and also vision to keep the system abreast of the great changes that are taking place all over the world.