TRAMWAY BOARD ELECTIONS.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 12509, 23 May 1906, Page 6

TRAMWAY BOARD ELECTIONS.

In a letter which appeared in "The Press" yesterday a correspondent tells us that he voted agaftiht the original tramway loan, and in doing so he gave vent to a prophecy wluch he asserts is being fulfilled. "Ine radical section "of the community," ho predicted, " would at the outeet aliow the e'ection " of just euch a Board as was elected. " The names of the Board would insp.re " just that amount of confidence which

"would secure the borrowing of the " money. Tho Board would be allowed "to construct the tramways, and then •'a demand would be made for cheap " fares and high wageß. Should a de"ficiency result it would have to be " made good ont of the rates." While we think that our correspondent is nndnly sanguine as to tbe fulfilment ot his pessimistic forebodings—if such en expression may be permitted—there is no doubt that the ratepayers will do well to give serious attention to the approaching election of members of the Board. It is proverbially dangerous to "swop horses in tha middle of a "stream," and the present seems to us an exceedingly inopportune time for •making any material change in the constitution of the Board. The work of constructing the lines is not yet finished, and it is surely advisable that it should be carried to completion by the men who are responsible for its prosecution to the present stage, and who are most familiar with what is required. Again, »t is eminently desirable tliat the differences between tho Construction Company and the Board in regard to penalties should be settled beforo the members under whoee administration those penalties were demanded are allowed to go out of office. We do not say that the present Board have made no mistakes—on the contrary, we have ourselves more tnan once sharply criticised their proceedings. Wo do say, however, that it would be an extraordinary thing if any Board made no mistakes at all in carrying out an undertaking of this magnitude, that the mittakes made have been comparatively few, and that, on the whole, the members have bestowed an immense amount of pains, amd brought a very high-standard of business ability to bear on the work: They certainly deserve the gratitude of the publio for what they have done, and, in our opinion, the ratepayers aire very fortunate in having the opportunity of securing their services for 'another term, and they will make a great mistake if they reject them in favour of a number of untried men.