TRAMWAY QUESTIONS.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 13467, 6 July 1909, Page 10

TRAMWAY QUESTIONS.

MEETING AT SYDENHAM.

I A meeting to discuss tramway mat- ' tors, as affecting Sydenham and adjoining districts, was held in the Foresters' Hali, Hazeldean road, last evening. | under the auspices of the Burgesses' j Association. There was an attendance of about forty members, representing tramway interests from Sydenham to Cashmere Hills. The chair was occupied hy Mr G. E. ,Good, president of the Aswiation. Messrs A. W. Beaven, G. Payling, and D. Sykes, members of the Tramway Board, were in attendance.

The tirst subject dealt -with was tho duplication of the Colombo street line from Moorhouse avenue to Gordon street. It wasiclaimed that in this respect Sydenham had been neglected. A quicker and more up-to-date service was -wanted, especially to tho out-tying districts of Fisherton and'Beckenham. It was argued that the p_o,_tosod duplication would enable Sydenham to have a faster and more frequent service, and obviate blocking by Addington and Opawa cars. A resolution in favour of the duplication was carried. The next question was the re-arrange-ment of sections from the Square to Brougham street, and from Fisher street to the Hills. It was. suggested that the distance from the Square to Kilmore. street was not used by five out of every hundred -people from Sydenham, that this should be discontinued, and the distance added to the Sydenham end. Mr Beaven explained why Kilmore street had been made thc end of tho section, and held «ut no hope that the section would be extended. Tho Board would not materially lengthen the sections for many years. After hearing Mr Beaven, the meeting proceeded to the next question. The delaying of the trams at the Colombo street crossing by the railway shunting operations and incoming trains, was discussed at some length. The chairman said that he quite realised that safety was necessary. The railway dropped signals against passenger oars when the trains were leaving Addington. It was a scandalous shame that the tramway system should bo disorganised through unnecessary delay of the cars at the crossing. Another speaker said that it was simply a curse the way Colombo street was turned into a shunting yard by tho Railway Department. "Mr Sykes said that thero would bo no improvement until there was* a subway made, but whether the Railway, the City Council, or the Tramway Board should make it he did not know. Thc Railway Department did not have the right of tho road any more than anyone else. It was stated by other speakers that the Addington cars had suffered in some degree, but matters had improved lately, as the- result of persistent agitation. - Mr Payling said that Sydenham should get up a monster petition to tho Government against the blocking of the car service by shunting operations. He thought that a subway would bo neces- j sary in the near future. It was decided that a- subway was necessary, that the Government should be asked to report as to the cost, and that members of Parliament be asked to assist. lt was also resolved to approach the Railway Denartmemt with a Tequest that the delays should be reduced as much as possible. Mr Beaven remarked that the Railway Department was much more considerate now in regard to the cars than it used to be.

A motion was passed in favour of instituting a ten-minute-service from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. to the end of the twopenny section from the Square to Tennyson street or to Fisher -.street. The proposer, Mr Charters, said that Sydenham was the best paying line, and the Board should look after its best customers. Mr Beaven .said ho thought that the Board was fairly unanimous that Sydenham was entitled to the tonminute service, for a part of the day at least. The meeting should send in an application beforo the next alteration "of timetables in September. Mr Pavling agreed with this, and Mr Sykes favoured a ten-minute service for part of the day. Tho next item on the agenda paper was conrolaints as to laxity of motormen in failing to ring gongs when approaching street corners* incivility and want of consideration to passengers by conductors; and the stopping of cars across street intersections. At this' stage Mr Beaven rose and 'said that while the members of the Board were willing to discuss general tramway matters they had to draw the line at reflections on the staff. The Board believed they had a good staff, though one or two individuals might not be all they should be. Anyone who had complaints about the staff should forward them to the Staff mittee.The meeting agreed with this position, and the chairman said that no motion would be passed. The subjects had been included by request. Mr Sykes also defended the staff, and Mr A. D. Hart objected to the reflection cast on the general body of tramway employees. The people in the Opawa district spoke gratefully of the courtesy and assistance given by the conductors.

The meeting passed to the next business, and discussed the practice of some motormen in stopping across the street intersections, and Mr Beaven explained that this was against instructions. Other speakers pointed to 'the danger caused by cars being almost stopped before going over points. When the points were near a stopping place people frequently stepped off, only to find that the car did not quite stop, and accidents had occurred through this mistake. No resolution . The Hackthorne road extension was mentioned, and the chairman said that the Association.was in favour of an extension by Somerfield road and Wilderness road to'Hackthorne road, the line ultimately to connect with Lincoln road. Delegates from the Hackthorne road Committee, who were present, said that they had no predilection for this route or any route. They suggested.that the meeting should-not come to a conclusion at once, but apply to the Tramway Board for some informa-, tion regarding the route. The following motion was carried:—"That the Tramway Board be respectfully asked to instruct their officers to report upon the following matters:—(l) The estimated cost of constructing a line from Colombo street, via Somerfield street, I to the foot of, Hackthorne road; the route which this line if made, would take from the junction of Somerfield street and Wilderness road to Hackthorne road • and, in the event of this line being made, what proportion of the Sydenham trams (both ordinarily and on holidays) would run to Hackthorne road and to the end of Colombo respectively; (2) what special rating area would bo recommended for a line to Hackthorne road —(a) via Cashmere road from the foot of Dyer's Pass road, (b) via Somerfield street—and what would 'be the probable rate (if any) in each such area before, any increase in population took place." The motion was carried.