CORRESPONDENCE.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 13608, 17 December 1909, Page 9

CORRESPONDENCE.

.... —■ —■ •> ——-— . - THE BURWOOD TRAM SERVICE • TO THB EDITOR OS "THE. PKESB. , ' Sir,—Beine one of those interested in the continuance of the Burwood-Neu-Brighton tram, I read your leader "and several letters re the same with much interest. I hold no brief for the Tramway Board, but in justice to them I .really think the New Brighton Borough Council should be more blamed than tho Bqard. In the- eyes of the Council Aortfi INew Brighton has no existence except as an annoyance. They would willingly allow it to be cut off at Park road, and have no connection with it except to receive the yearly rates. who are the representatives of the people immediately concerned allowed the tram to stop running; in their fear of it ever being connected along the beach they destroyed the track by dragging up the.sleepers, and now, adding insnlt to injury, they have , planted marram grass on the centre of the Marino Parade, blocking for thai time being traffic of any description. Such policy on-the part of people who-.Jha,ve. interests at the other end of the'borough,'' speaks very little for the public epirit of men holding public positions and the confidence of the ratepayers. It has probably been error of judgment, ana can be rectified, but with sixty acres of reserve shifting with every wind the planting of the roadway seems so short-sighted that it almost amounts to blindness. Now , as to the tram running on the old route. In the hands of men who wanted it to pay, it did pay, and that with twenty-four rides for three shiltravelling whenever you pleased, no time limit or anything elee. The disabilities and drawbacks, were much greater than the Board are asked to face. The old line had a mile of sand and;ho protection. By judicious building of a sea-ward wall of sand this is now-reduced to half a mile, and on the other half mile by the same system of protection the trouble of the shifting sand can be reduced to nil. '

Another thing—a well could easily b» sunk, anywhere along the reserve, to a depth of three hundred feet at the cost of from £35 to £10, giriug a flow of from fourteen to sixteen feet above the average level of the sand. Thie with the powerful -water carts could easily bo used to water the tracks for miles. It is well known wet sand is no trouble. Now another little grievance, which might toe easily exolained by those who know, "but who they are I cannot tell, j I understand the Tramway Board cal culated to save £250 a year by using the old Burwood tram sheds for the Brighton cars at night. Now they have built two cottages at the back of the sheds, and I presume the land they are built upon is an asset of some value. Now in all justice to Burwood Brighton, isn't that our asset? No profit can be expected from a line that lands innocent wayfarers on a desolate beach, with a mile of soft sand to negotiate before reaching civilisation. We are only asking for justice. We have had the tram running from fifteen to eighteen years, and that should warrant it being continued and made to pay by cheap fares, holiday and school excursions and good service, rehevmg, -as it will, some of the congestion on the direct line. Only thav» £f a ?/ reqil f y w ' *•*£ almost all trams the overcrowdine is unpleasant, unhealthy, and dangerous —\ours. etc.. &

THE GLORIOrS OCEAN,