TRAMWAY BOARD LOAN PLAN

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25450, 23 March 1948, Page 4

TRAMWAY BOARD LOAN PLAN

REASONS FOR DELAY IN HOLDING POLL

CHAIRMAN EXPLAINS PROCEDURE The delays incidental to the holding of a poll on the board’s intention to borrow £1,350,000 for modernising the tramway system were explained by the chairman (Mr C. C. Holland) at a meeting of the Christchurch Tramway Board yesterday. Mr Holland said the board’s decision had been made last November after a great deal of investigation. He had hoped that by April or May it would be possible to hold a poll on the proposal. However, he had found that the course to be followed was a very circuitous one, and the board had been able to “cut no corners.” ’Hie position now was that the board had to advertise in the newspapers* for objections. This had been done already. -If objections were received, they would be considered at a special meeting of the board on March 31. Then a thorough investigation would be made by the State Hydro-electric Department, the Public Works Department, and the Transport Department Provided the report of each of these departments was favourable, the proposal would then be investigated by the Treasury and the Local Government Loans Board. All this procedure, would have to be followed before a poll could be taken. Full information about the proposals would be given when arrangements for a poll were made. The delay was unfortunate for & number of reasons, continued Mr Holland. The modernisation plan should be completed within the life of the present board, for on the electors’ opinions of it would depend the chances of re-election of members. Even more important was the fact that, Decause of the delay, the board was compelled to maintain permanent way and rolling stock which were at the end of their useful lives. Vehicles from Britain might not be obtainable in a year or 18 months’ time, Mr Holland added. Orders for new vehicles might be delayed until the whole of the British output was required for normal replacements of British fleets. It was obligatory for bus bodies to be built in New Zealand, and only the chassis could be imported. The maximum capacity of the New Zealand bodybuilding industry was about 200 vehicles a year; of these, 100 went to the Railway Department for normal replacements. This left only 100 a year to cater for all the other public ? nd ., 2F lva . te , transport systems in the Dominion. The Christchurch boards quota of buses each year was going to be extremely small.