A PROGRESSIVE PROPOSAL

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 91, 10 January 1908, Page 7

A PROGRESSIVE PROPOSAL

tramways and electric light „ FOR HUrT VALLEY. || „ k^ :: ci v r^: -vi s A SCHEME VO COST £80,000. " ", v j THE MATTER DISCUSSED". ' A meeting 'of the Hutl and PL tons .Borough Councils /was. held. last ovpnujig- at v,- ■ Lower Hutt m connection ■ with a proposal; '.-i. to-, ha\o--a jcombined.' electric tramway!*and ; lighting Bclicme the Hutt Valley. J, Tho ' Mayor.rof. Lover .Hui't (Mr.iT. Ai Peterkm): 1 •presided,- and. associated vnthi him. wasJl Mr. ' ■- ■■ J, M'En an,(Mayor of Petono):-. Thpro was a , largo ,niiistervOf;}mcnibers of 1 both Councils, ;/iwi« and Several.'ratepayers were also present;j- >" . ,1. Mi., d'eterkin Said, .tlmt.with, an- deatrio tramway ,the progress:;of- tho district .would receive-a great fillip..' .They wanted-a tramway:.to- the'railway- station, and generally,- if - the scheme to bo.,laid - before them 'vere <■' :■■■ earned put, it would he a great,thing for the - Valloy. i s . Ji* 1 MAYOR OF PETONE. >! Mi. M'Ewan.(Mayorsof-,Petone), said.there ; . • was in existence a joi.it comTnitteo st't up to considei this • matter;! The committea had" > ' ■ decided that the - two - Borough Engineers should draw up a report, but stress of work- -. J'acl ..presented.this. ; :Smce .then the. possi-:,.. >'.t ? bility'iof- staking the. matter; in - -. hand had propped, up,,i But from.unforeseen-."-' difficulties the syndicate.-had not comcimto' i Now .there:'.was a project for tlia ■ ' ' ; municipalisation schenfe, and that met with his approval. , .He'-advised that; thoy .follow -■ :. . the course adopted by Christchurch. The • , Hutt-. and Petouo /Councils would 'have to 7- - • agree on a- '' district,'!? vandr.theii ! have aa- * v enabling-.Act .passed-^-ncxt; session,-if pos- ■' , sible.; ... There should to<; . power to add'to the - ' ■ district which; was - first defined; and -they - might- oven ■ extend to Eastbourne, Silver-; ' .stream,- and.,.perhaps, to the Upper -Hutt.-' »>••« The trams ,'would be managed by a Board, " vhich, would he .either elected-or- nominated. The,-necessary. then'bo bor- • ?<• rowed. i.--Mr.: : M'Ewan; also submitted other-: ' details Las •>to,; management and the manner- ;«w of assessing: compensation, and rates. In : . '.v -rating ; lie- would, support the " differentiating". system. Vr-; A PROPOSAL/ jK ;, Mi . Hcrrman Lewis,, a -landowner in: thel '- : district, called on- by- Mr. i Peterkm to submit a proposal, said it was estimated that? . the., whole.scheme. would .cost j£So,ooo.•■' This' '•»• would ,bo for a tram system of 10i nnles, j '■ . and would : also' include, electric lighting for the two. boroughs..- The cost...of—the- tram* ! i ways, was estimated-at. £6000 per mile ; £8000 - Jv- '. nioro would be needed for the electric light ■ and contingencies would have to be pro\ided, briitgihg. the .whole up vto .£BO,OOO. TheI'cople would never sanction s rate to cover - <uiy initial loss, and ho, and other gentle--:' men .in the district, who had faith in its ■ progress arid, prosperity, were/ prepared to- \ guarantee for a period of ten years, any loss ■■■■: tip to £20,000. If there was a loss on the first three or .five years, arid a margin, of-:. profit .after that, the company would expect' . ■to;'be;' treated:^accordingly..' But they wero .. *■ prepared to make this offer of a guarantee • f.bccause they looked upon the trams as a r great neoessity, and they did not anticipate any loss ,at all. - ■

: In reply to 'Councillor ;Russon, said tliat about, £71,000 would>bo the actual; cost. 1 The remainder of the £80,000 would : go io.mako up contingencies'.' .It was:estimated that the population of the Valley was 10,000; and ; tliat , 4000. people .'a day ■Vwouldi. be carricd.. The .suggested; route (10} miles),; .was as ) follows :--An overhead. trolley sys-; t'ehi frblii Petone to Taita by direct' route; probably through Cuba' Street ; through Petone township to the railway station; theaalong Lower Hutt Road to the railway station at! Hutt, and then up to Taita. There, would also- bo a loop line to Uellovue Gardens, and hack by Waiwetu, . thence through Park Avenue ,to the main routo. The sum mentioned included the cost of rolling stock.; I SOME: DISCUSSION. ; Councillor J. Ward .(Hutt) | in tho courso of critical remarks, considered £6000 per mile too low an estimate. He also did not think tho trams, even if 4050 a people a day were carried, would pay. The traffic during the day would be infinitesimal; the trams ; only be requited- during tho morning and 'evening to run''to the trains. He also did not consider £20,000 a sufficient guarantee against possible loiis, and ho belioved a loss'moro tlian " possible." ' ' Mr. M!Pwan,,in. tho course of a reply to the; again favoured municipal management. Tie ■ referred to the power they would have for " differential " rating,andpointed out that there were, largo blocks of land' in the Valley -thai; would -be greatly.' benefitedpand-why-should, thosojand-owners not contribute, to a; differentiating extent, for tho benefit the propei'tifes would receive? Mr. *C. 'J. "Anderson; electrical engineer, asked by the Mayor to make a few remarks, said that the figures supplied by Mr; Lewis were: estimated on a sound basis. The £SO,OOU 'did' not include the cost of erecting a bridgo over the Hutt River. , Tho idea was •to use tlio^present bridge. \n' reply to Councillor Russell,"Mr;: Anderson' said a sufficient' margin—ten' feet clear—would be left for. .traffic ott\tto»'bridge.''- v •• *

In:reply to' Councillor.''Boss'-!(Hutt), Mr. Anderson said tlio ■ estimate : included eight cars and four trailers, which was sufficient for' a start.,; The sum of £6000 per mile was estimated to cover, the whole-of the equipment—everything except the purchase of a site, for■ the', power-house. He - further explained,, that, he estimated ■ the number to travel per (lay (40001 in ' the number, using the train and travelling to. and" fro in the Valley. • .'

■ Councillor Lodder (Petone) considered the succcs's of the trams would depend 011 linking up with Wellington. Ho did not think they 'could base calculations 011 the employees of the woollen mill'using the trams, say, four times a. day; they could not afford.it. Ia tho future,: if they got the Government to romovo ; the embargo which, prevented tho laying of electric lines between Wellington aiid Petone, they could then link up with Wellington and make their system pay. Sir. Lewis: Tho Government will never permit'tlie embargo' to ho • removed.- ■ Voices: Oil, yes, they will; they will hava t'o. ■ '- '' ■

Councillor Baldwin (Hutt) moved that the representatives of the two boroughs present recommond- their respective bodies to acccpt- tlio offer of Mr. Lewis, subject to a satisfactory service being laid down for . £80,000; and subjcct, also, to the consent of t.bo peoplo being obtained. This, lie said: was not not binding, but would enablo full dotails to be obtained and tlio whole matter gone, into. TROUBLED WATERS. Councillor Ward objected that full dotails of the offer had not been submitted, and said ho had hoard of nothing more preposterous _ than to move a resolution of this sort with the meagre details supplied. Councillor Hodgins (Hutt) said that Messrs. Anderson siiid Lewis apparently held information regarding, their proposal which they did not seem prepared to submit. Mr. Lewis: Not at nil. It was for tlio two Councils to say whether tlioy wanted a tramway system or not. It was for them to obtain their report and say whether the tramway was desired. If they woro propared to go abend, 1 he, and those with him, wore prepared to help as already stated. He had no axo'to grind, but had confidence iu tlio future of tlio'district.

Councillor Shortt (Potono) declared Mr. Lewis was trying t,o browbeat thorn. Ho expressed dissatisfaction with tho scheino put before them. They had fjono thoro to learn, but had been told nothing. Tho Mayor here poured oil 011 troubled waters. ■

After further discussion, Councillor Russell (Hutt) moved ns an amendment that the Committee alroady appointed by tho. joint Borough Councils tako evidence troin experts on the advisability of tho system proposed, and finally report to a futuro conforence, to bo held in threo weeks This was carried by 12 to 1, as agaiuat nrcviou6ly moved; .