WADESTOWN TRAMWAYS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 190, 6 May 1908, Page 9

WADESTOWN TRAMWAYS.

9 THE QUESTION OF ROUTE. AN ANIMATED DISCUSSION. • ■ Iu snito of the adverse weather conditions, ■ a large arid, enthusiastic mooting of Wadestown rosidents/'was held at the schoolroom last-evening in connection with the proposed tramway, the point to bo considered- being what route should bo chosen. r■: His Worship;tho Mayor (the Hon. T. W. 3 Hislop) and Councillors J. P. Luke, A. S. Biss, F. Cohen, arid T. Cannichaelj the Towri ' Clerk (Mr. J. R, Palmer),'and tho Engineor | (Mr. W. H. Morton) wore present: 1 Thp Mayor said there wore a number of 1 alternative routosj but-tho tunnel proposition ? could bo left out of consideration, as the : grade "was not suitable and the cost would 1 . be too great. ~ Tho choice - appeared to lie \ |. between two routes, that via-the main road ] i and'that-through'tlio Rhodes Estate."" The i former branches from' MoleSworth' Street, 1 _• goes through Park Street into, Grant Road, 1 ■ through tho Town; Bolt, and-un, tho main ' - road to ,Wadcstowii. Tho Ilyland Park ] routo, went through tho Rhodes Estate, Avhich,. 1 although .about 73 chains longer, had loss 1 .: engineering difficulties, and it went through 1 [ land which would later oil bo mora largely i > populated than at. present. Tho engineer ; ; had; said that ho v/ould prefer tho Hyland ' t Park/route' except for tho oxpensc. , Tho 1 v matter was discussed with, those representing 1 r the- Rhodes estate, and, an olfor had just- ; boeri. made that , the estate Would pay £10,000. ] ( - if their route was chosen 'and'if.the."paper" 1 roads (roads which had iiot ; been made) wore ; ' closed' up. In I this case, 110 compensation • would be required.; This offer'had altered' 1 the .engineer's opinioiv on the subject. Oho 1 . of tho principal -'objections to tho main road • route was'that a reversal by the'.'cars was' ] L needed,-and. tho''cuttings- would 'be; very t 1 'severe.*' Tho trustees of tho ostato had been . i : approached, and asked if thpy would allow , the Council; sonio' land for ■ recreation' pur-' ( poses, and a. reply was received that the - '; trustees considered four or fivo,acres cheap ; I at £1000 per:acre when tlie tramways were .• down: There would probably bo less 1 vehicular. i traffic rpund tho longer/route,-arid thus the' : cost of maintenance would be reduced.; j 1 - Tho Mayor .then asked :for tlio- opiiiioiis ■ of those presen.t; and it quickly became' ap-' , parent that r th6 .majority' wore in favour of ', '. tho line being, constructed through the main , 1 road. ' . ] Although.: tlio mooting fras' orderly, ono , or two had to -be rebuked-by ■ tho Mayor for | their imiratience, but generally things went' { off smoothly. ■1 . • . . Tho Mayor pointed out that! tlie people would have to pay tho cost, and 1 tho sub- ; ; ject should bo looked at from a 'business j point of view. They should have, a tram- j way, thp faros of which would pay tho j whole cost, and -thus save themselves from | rating. -; .. -.• ■ l - - . j • 111 reply to a question, the l Mayor stated j that the extent of " dead ."'ground on each' , lino (ground along which thero wero no ( people): would be about 1 27 chains on-the main road routo and; 13' chains on the'other.'- , ; A' member'of .the audience wanted to pro- J poso-.a; motion affirming "the desirableness j of Constructing the'lino .via the main road,' but' Mr. :Hislop reniarked that a motion was j not-needed just-then;'the matter should: ] •be well -considered; before deciding. . j .: The fare, Mr. Jlislop mentioned, would c probably 'bo the same for' either 1 , route— l ; about l.Jd. -. ;' ' j ; : 'A' Yoico: If .wo support the Rhodes estate route) w ill wo have anything dono -to tho j mailt road? 1 ( Mr. 1 ; Hislop: - Oh, yes. 'Whichever route ] you; support you' arc going to have tho main road improved. (Applause.) ■ j ' "Do you; think'..that, tho £10,000 offered -j by the trustees .' of the' .estate ; towards .tlie cost /of the rtf , am^ - a'ys' 1: w-prild'' compensate'. ; W-adostowii? : ''-,'aßlied ;a 'questioner., ' 'j " I think that thero ■ is' soino preiudico in' 'the .matter I ,*' S'(?p}ied"MrV'Hislop.' : I do'nbt think" it .-'a littlo'.-further' : rpurid.'---';you-'h'avo;',nbt M takeri''tho facts irito '= considcratibriv N6".doubt from tlio 1 ing : polrit W' 'the' : right':'one.". ;' ; '' : ' ' \ ' : A 'speaker Said that it was a, pity. thaV.'tKb. , t question of tho roads was; brought, in at 1 a 11..' Sentiriiorit ; was .a strong, thing, but lie , did ( : not' think' that tho Waupstown .people would let this interfere, witli, the inatter.; He sug T j gested'.that riiake. a. cash .pfFer. , and leave the roads' entirely out qf the ques- ' 1 tion..: So'long;'as it' was.made a. condition ( that the rights of. those roads should be ,'sur- s rendered tho Toute through tho .ostato would J not' bo accepted. , ; ' ..' ' £ Mr. Moorhpuse, solicitor ,for tlio trustees,' who was present,- said'that thero were threo ( ■trustees concerned, . arid tho proposition would have to.be referred to thom-to con- 1 sider. ' The Mayor,intimated .that.if,''the. trusteesany - alteration tlie people,would be. • t advised.':., .. ;,/ ; A 'poll., on the question is ,to -bo taken .'on ' Mav 13. ; " 1 ■ Tho: meeting concludKl with .a vote".of : thanks to the Mayor.' , . , , : ■ ' ' ' I