THE TRAMWAYS QUESTION.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 11279, 21 May 1902, Page 9

THE TRAMWAYS QUESTION.

DISCUSSION BY THE LINWOOD COUNCIL.

A MOTION l-ESCINDE'D.

__ _pcci.il meeting of the Linwood Borough Coun.-il was held last night to discuss the iiui-iion of useinding the motion proposed by Cr. Juinicscu, and passed at a previous ..peci&l mm ing, with regard to the ' yninwiiy.. T»- motion wa«.: "That this Council is <-f opinion that it will be in the interest- of th. ratepayer. d Christchurch ana surrounding districts that a contract be t.i__ci , _d- into between the various local baclks and the British Electrical Traction Company, or any other company for a term oi y.i__, the local bodies {oliave tihe right of puixshn___g in . ten tears' time, or any time thereafter, by giving the said .om.p_uy twelve _r_un_t__ notice." There was a full attendance of tha Council, the .Mayor (Mr JI. I'tarce) being in tbe chair. Cr. Brown, \vl_> had given notice of motion to rescind the..volution, .aid that his absence irv/m the special nie_ti-ng at which it was jni-std was* quite unavoidable. He : oaked the mover of the resolution whether he had conf-fc-rr.pht.__ a contract bring brought about di_e.t_y between th. local and the c\.rnp„_.y, or by the formation ot a tramway board. <• c_._ Jamieson said that the idea had been fluk'the local bodies should arrange the o _ jßtrae t, a board being probably set up Istctr- ... . . „ Cr;■■Brown stated that in his opinion the ■peal'bodies would find difficulties in dealing with the matter, which would mean vtry Serious delay. He thought that the only thing to do'would) be to hand over the con«ml to a common bjxircl will one common object. Each of its mamibers would contend, not for St. Albans or for Linwood, but for the interests of the whole community, as a representative of the whole district. It would be constituted in accoidance with the suggestions of the Conference, a tram area formed in the same mopuer as the drainage area, and the board would have power to strike a rate, or rase a certain sum, for carrying out necessary works. He believed that funds could be raised by the board in New Zealand at 3£ per cent, or 4 per cent. R had been pointed out that a Board of the kind mentioned would be a, purely Bansteur body, and that the whole scheme .roold be a failure on this account. He thought, however, that to think thus was rather to discredit our public men. Tbe Lyttelton Harbour Board was instanced as a body of men giving their services, gratuitously, which none could say bad not been a success. He thought there were capable- men who would take up tbe matter of the tramways, and give every asm_ta_ce, and the benefit of their experience. An expert with regard to electrical trams could be procured from the other ride. After referring to other pluuses of the question, lie formally moved that Cr. Jameson', motion be rescinded. Or. Wagstaff seconded the motion. Cr. Jameson pointed out that the Conference of local bodies on the tramways Question had been appointed in August fiat, and had taken eight months to bring down its report. If this was the case, bow long would it take the .local bodies to get the new tramways? No doubt the Councillor who moved the rescinding of his resolution, whioh had been passed by a large majority, bad been led away by the notiaa that all tramway companies made a [■• great profit during their first ten years of __a_Agen__it. Neither the Christohurah nor Auckland Companies Jiad done so. The Christchurch Tramway Company lost £60,000 in it. first ten ar twelve year., the Oity and Suburban Ckwnpany liquidated, and .-' none knew whether the Worcester street '. line paid or did not pay, but it should do so, when it charged 3d for three-quarters of a mile. Or. Jameson then dealt with Mr Hansen'a p<rcy____s. Cr. Brown said that he hod no objection 'Whatever to -the British Electric Traction ' ",'. Company constructing the tramways as con- - ..tractors, but only to their owning them. ' . '' '*f Cr. Jamieson said that the great advan- ' of accepting the company's proposals _£._# was that the system could be procured at -, v . once, without cost to the ratepayers. Their s.' .& -* 4 -* t * r °*-'*""-* IStb March contained only the v/T-'i principal features for an electric tram ser- :_' }f '■ vice, and these were subject to any amend- ■§__,. v: __en_s in detail that the local bodies con- .;/_.;'.". earned might suggest, and the company agree "_?.'. to. Before sitting down he wished to say K_;| , that any Council first passing an important %j;. resolution by a, big majority, and then im£s&v mediately rescinding it, was beneath outs.-© '<!_s/.■.critidsm, and absolutely proveu that it was <&, . weak and inconsistent. '■>_f.i. • Cr.'Brunt said that, as one who had .£•*.£■ .-_.' heartily supported the previous resolution, '$%'.).-',- he had been rather surprised to hear notice rescinding it. The resolution seemed '$&&'•' io him to be very open and fair, and not to jf-y .j. bind the Council to much. No data had £?. : been given, to show that the local bouies *-, ■ .'eoutd raise, the money to commence the '$ ,; work themselves. The chief difficulty, about _& ff' Mr Hansen's proposals appeared to be that _.'"'.<. **- e y were so surprisingly good that people v&iiJ- almost feared that *._ere must be some j&y. trickery possible underneath them, by which lH?; -* ocal -Jodies would be tripped up. Person- !.§*?.. **ty D * - a( * no ob Jection whatever to a Board &£-,'' being set up to arrange with the oompaxty. W%<. 'C p ' Janueson—"Nor have I." |p>., Cr. Brunt said that he. would oppose the £$p,.--etch-ding of the resolution &^f ; .' r - S* 6 *-* fcoped that the Councfl would ■■_}"-* 8° * >aci!c on itß former .resolution. By so it would fall considerably in the of not only Linwood ratepayers, '$$$&' 'Wt"of the ratepayers of the district. •ss_<*„ ■ Cp * CHeworth dc_bted whether the ratewt ep * wot *l** empower a Board to raise |p- for carrying on, the work. i_is jg at 4 per cent, meant d.10,000 a year itself, and the total expenses ot the threatened to be so large 1 that one Iffy .Xcaodd hardly realise where the money would j&°orae from. He hoped that the Council IPk "to-*-- V J*« previous resolution. ■■___?'-' rs * -^ e -^° n a -*l Robertson said that they ,W»f IffouM do tbe Mine. Wm The Mayor said that the point was not ;lS%i whether the local bodies were ready to give ft oon -P an y the contract of forming the w}.% tramways, but whether the company was to ||r.t' ran them, or tbe local bodies. He thought |;»|C"" that the latter should do so. With regard *y?:.', to Cr. Brunt's remarks, he thought that if •fe.'' Cr* Jameson's r-Solution were not rescinded Z,'f{\, it would tie the council for ten years. They W~-\ would have no say in the management of /, •$ ' the tramways during that time. He would _ Vv~' vote that the resolution be rescinded, as he 4*y was totally opposed to the tramways .going ;_.'.'£'- |>eyond the local bodies. ,-V > Cr. Brown said, for his own port, he had' \\ -~- _ofc one tittle -to gain. ,_-}._■>■'."" The motion to rescind the former resolu- ':'"' tion was then put, and a show of hands I \\" taken. The motion was passed by seven !*_. ■ votes to six. >-".' * It was decided to defer further considera- ■. lion of the tramways question until Mr Hansen has met the -__fe**_nce of local Ijodies on the subject.