TRAMWAY BOARD

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 15955, 17 July 1917, Page 3

TRAMWAY BOARD

SPECIAL AXD ORDINARY

MEETINGS

.Special and ordinary meetings of tho Tramway Board were held yesterday afternoon. Present —Messrs C. Gray (chairman), J. A. Pearce, Geo. T. Booth. A. >-• Taylor, D. Sykes. S. A. Staples. T. H. Davey, and tho i'ioa. J. 13arr. SPECIAL MEETINGS. A special was firs* held, at which the chairman moved: the balance-sheet for tho year ended March 31st. 1917, with certificate of tho Auditor and Controller-General, having been considered, bo now sett-leu.'' ,\ii- ±1. Pearce seconded. Mr ];. SyJies criticised some matters connected with. th.o and coinraonted on t-ne operating cost m JDunedin—Bd per car milo—as compared with the Christchurch cost of 9d. if there was one city more than another where electric trams could, bo run economically he thought that UnnstI church was that city. Ho considered that the investment ot reserve fund on tho main area, free of interest was inequitable, and contended that other parts of the district should have the use of this free money. Ho indicated that ho intended to inovo that steps bo taken to merge the special rating areas into the mam area. The motion was agreed to. At » special meet-ins held immediately after the first one. a special order respecting the St. Martin s district rate was agreed to. Tho ordinary meeting was then held. WORKS AND TRAFFIC MATTERS.

t Tho Works and Traffic Committee 4-c----portod that it iiad been tleeidod to tako up £i0,0lX) of tho South Brighton loan a,c 5 x>cr ccnt. a slijihtly iuglior rate could bo obtained in other parts or tho Dominion, but the committee iavourod loeiii investments '.vhonevor i>ossiblc. Further consideration had been given to tho Woolston time-table, and records of loading showed that overloading was not excessive, and -was, indeed, less than on some other linos; it was proposed to run a now trip to Woolston at / .-11 a.m.. and to have a car leave Bamiord street at 7.7 p.m., preceding the Sinline r car timed to leave there at 7,'t p.m. \ these alterations would coiao into forco next month. The proßrammo approved of in respect to tho re-liftinp; and re-packing of tiio track thi'oiifjhoufc tho system would occupy tho best Part of a S' ool '. The eommi ttoe had decided to obtain legal advice on t-lio subject of tlie -Board paying a portion of tho cost of employing a life-saving patrolman m the Now Brighton beach. The requests of tho .Avonsiilo Burgesses' Association had beon complied with that No. car (Dallington) should precede No. (i on certain business trips, and that no double deck cars should l>e run on the route; the committee did_ not approve of tho proposal that waiting cars "H tho Dallincrton terminus should stand ton foot away from K-iver road. The uso of an old trailer for a shelter at JRncecourse road. North Beach lino, had beon granted. Mr Barr said, with reference to the "Woolston time-table, that tho report contained no reference to an additional car in the afternoon. The Mayor of Yvools'ton (Mr McGregor Wright) had informed him that c<i?nplaints were just as great' as over. It seemed that nothing would satisfy tho Woolston people but a reversal to tho previous time-table.

The general manager (Mr F. Thompson) said that tho afternoon car referred to would be run if certain alterations on tho Cashmere rout© were effected.

The report was agreed to. MISCELLANEOUS. Tho City Council acknowledged receipt of the Board's offer to share tho oost of acquiring land to widen the roadway at tho rorncr of Cashol street and Staninoro road. Tiio Council stated that it preferred to have the tramline shitted. A letter was read from Mr B. C. Pratt, Mho stated that ho rode round the corner above referred to six times daily. He considered ; t one. of the safest on the system, and that tho proposed alteration of tho track was unnecessary. It was decided to ask tho City Council to reconsider the matt-er and to receive a deputation, consisting of the chairman and the general manager, on the subject. Mr "VV. Broadhurst, Opawa, wrote complimenting and thanking two of tie Board's staff on 'the cars for their courtesy and kindness to him. The cliairman said that it was not often the Board was favoured with a letter of this kind; people were readier to make complaints. The letter was received, and it was stated that the two employees—a motorman and conductor —would receive credit marks. Mrs Wilson wrote thanking tho Board for advertising spa-co in connexion with thg "Women's Club's concert last month. Accounts totalling £6015 5s 8d were passed for payment.