TRAMWAY BOARD.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 12441, 2 March 1906, Page 2

TRAMWAY BOARD.

PROPOSED CHANGE OF ROUTES.

A meeting of the Tramway Board was held yesterday afternoon. Present: Messrs W. Reooo (chairman), C. Mi Gray, F. Waymouth, A. W. Beaven, G. Scott, H. Pearce, «uid O. H. Winny. An apology for absence was received from Sir Stead, who is out of town. ; x THE OPAWA LINE. DIRECT ROtJTE REQUESTED. A deputation, of Opawa residents, introduced by Mr G. J. Smith, waited on the Board in reference to a proposed direct route from the city. Mr H. A. Bruce read a petition drawn up by the residents, setting forth the requirements of the district, as eet out at the public meeting hekl at St, Mark's schoolroom. The petitioners prayed that tho line bo laid Via Falsgrare street, or, in the alternative, if tho Board considered itself pledged to the Wordsworth street route, that a line of rails be laid connecting Shakespeare road, with the South and East belts, via .Falsgraye street. No alteration was made in the route until a week beforo the poll -was taken, said Mr Bruce, and that was most unfair to Opawa, -which had obtained inclusion within the rating area. As a fresh argumont, he contended that a great number of visitors would be oar--1 riod to the hills at the back.of Opawa j for pleasure purposes if a direct route as suggested was constructed. If the ; route was taken past Elizabeth etreet— 'which was a penny section,—residents of Opawa would have no chance of getting home by tram on wet nights, as tho Sydenham people' would rtfsh the. oars. It had been urged by c previous deputation that "Colombo street was becoming a little township in itself, and should not be neglected." .That was the ' matter .in a nutshell, but what about Opawa- , Was it not to bo consideredP ; Residents of Opawa would not desire to ' do tfesir shopping in Sydenham ; they i wanted to go to town. The question of j tho £300 paid for the use of the railway i crossing should not influence the Board's !action; and in any case, that amount < was not likeljr to remain ah eternal ' charge on the Board. Opawa had very j poor conveniences afc present; in wet i weather passengers could either eifc on the outside oP the coach and get soaked, . or walk in the rain. The train service, also, was most inconvenient. The area having "been extended, Opawa had paid £300 odd in one year, and co far had received nothing at all in the shape of a tram service. The petition con- ; tnined 644 signatures of residents and ratepayers, of Opawa, and if a few more days had been allowed, the number could have been doubled. - y The Chairman stated that the report of the engineer was dated December 18th, it vrae considered by the Worke and Traffic Committee on January 4th, and adopted on January 18th. It > could therefore hardly be said that the change wae not made until a week before the poll. . ; Mr Bruce said he meant* that the motion deciding on Falsgrave street was not rescinded until a week before the poll. , ' ■•.-.'••■ \ The Chairman eaid that was only a technicality. Mr Recce quoted from the engineer's Teport on the question, ; dated December I3th, as it bad been suggested, that the engineer was " at [the bottom of the matter." ! Mr Smith protested that such an idea I had never croeoed the minds of the ! deputation. I In his report the engineer said , :— " Since starting the survey work on the proposed new line, I have been going into the question as to the feasibility of starting the Opawa line from the Board's present track work in Fategrave street, and I would eek the Board to consider the following suggestion before it is definitely settled from which \ position on the existing track this line ■shall start. Should tho Opawa line ; start in front of the Board's office, car* ' running to and from Opaw* must pose over tho special work leading into tho car ehed and Stevens street, and I am positive that the Board will not be ablo to operate and maintain the schedule v.ibh satisfaction to tho public, owing to the fact that all the cars which are utilised in the Board's forvice have to pass in and out each day over this special work in Falsgrave street, and in addition to.this there will be, on special days, Ay heavy eorvice from Lancaster Park ninhing in cither direction over tho special work leading into Stevens etreet. Again, j tJie Hna running down Fategrave etreefc , ; will 'run alongside the Board's mrini habited property on tHe west side of J this street, between Moorbouse avenue j and the Taalway, while the people Jiving '• on the eaet sido would not, in my opinion, pay an extra fare to be hauled from this line to the city. And it would, therefore, eeem to be that a much better beginning of route could be made by the Board adopting one of the following suggestions." , The Engineer then gave four alternative routes. The deputation withdrew, after tltanking the Board for the courteous reception given. Letters from the Sydenham Ratepayers' Committee, M.r T. H. Strahan and Mr A. Anderson, dealing with the same matter, were read. . Mr Winny moved, and Mr Wayluouth seconded—"That the whole ques^

Itioe be referred to the Works Con>. ' mittee to report." .' < : ,V,' Mr Scott moved an amendment— "That the matter be dealt, with imme- ! diately, end in open meeting." I Mr PcaTce seconded thie. I Mr Winny pointed out that the matI ter would come up for decision "when the (committee reported to the Board". This motion. to refer the matter to the committee, wa&. carried■ ■ ThVengineer submitted, «t report in regard to forming the roadway in Woroc*I t«?r street between the Board's track and • the sido channel. The City Council had I decided that it cotdd not toko the responsibility of making up that portion iof the road. Be estimated that the cost of the work would be £95 6s Gd. Mf Wayrnouth Moved that the Board, carry out the.work. , -; I In- seconding the motion, Mr Gray ! M»kt the Council , * action was doe to tfte Manchester street experience. After 1 thatj the Council bed. resolved never to lay itself open to eimihtr tronble again. The motion was earned. VEHICULAR TRAFFIC THROUGH WOOLSTON. The engineer reported as folloms: —I ' beg to report, for the Board's information that the Woolston Borough Council, are remetalliiig the.'main! road between' ; the Tanks nod King street, Woolston, and in doing this work they are simply laying the metal on the top of the road, 1 not in any way blinding or finishing: ' same, with the consequence that all the vehicular traffic between Sumner ami Christchurch is taking the Board* petI manent way aa thr main thoroughfare. As tliifi work has now bmi on. for several ■weeks, it will be readily eecrt that the-Jioard w> , >- be pnt to a large expense for maintaining the permanent way, which to my Wind is not fair. In addition to this, it is. also customary for the ntaiority of the traffic both coming end going to ntiliso Beard's perma* nenb way aa a thoroughfare between the Tanks end the Heathcote bridge, and I would suggest tliatUiaWookton Borough Council be written to requesting that they enforce the proper rule of the road; ond in addition th«t they blind and finish . the roadway cc the metal is spread." It was decided to write to the Borough Council as suggested. OTHER MATTERS. A letter from Mr R. Middletem complaining of en alleged inequality in the Addington line fares, was referred to the Fares Committee. . , Mr H. A. Bruce wrote in reference to stoppages on the Riccarton line.—Tβ* matter was dclegiited to the Works and Traffic Committee. 4 ' The question, of appointing auditors was referred, to the Finance. Committee. Mr I*oarce moved, in accordance witn notice, "that tho resolution, on the minutes deciding that *tlio rente of the Citjr and Suburban lihe should be by way of Worcester etreet-be rescinded!" Hi« purposo, lie said, was to get the whole matter reconsidered. If they went into the question they would see conclusively that it would pay to take the line along Cashel elreet. ... Mr Winny (seconded the motion, but explained that h* wee unprepared to interfere at this stage- with what the Board had done before tie became a member. He considered, however, ihat it would be absolutely wrong to abandon the Cftehel etreet eervice. ' ' . • » Mr Gray wondered where mA the alteration was to end. People mustrealiefe that funds were not limitless, and they could not put trame everywhere. On the motion being put, the voting was even. # : The Chairman thought the_jmafcter ough to be fnlly deensaed. ITie best plan would have been for tne matter to be referred to tho..committee to report as to ways and means. In the circumstances,- however, he would vote for the motion, which, he accordingly declared carried. ~ 4