TRAMS TO WADESTOWN.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 194, 11 May 1908, Page 8

TRAMS TO WADESTOWN.

RHODES TRUSTEES MAKE . . ANOTHER. OFFER. , ! £8000 AND NO, "PAPER ROADS." ■ Mr. W. S. Moorliolise, on behalf 'of tlib trustees in the RhodesEstat-o, iias forwarded tho following letter to His Worship tho Mayor (Hon. T. W. Hislop) : •; Wellington, ,9th' May, 1908. His Worship tho Mayor of Wellington. He Wadestown Tramway. . ' Sir,—ln response to the suggestion made at tho Wadestowii meeting on Tuesday that another offer should bo made by the trustees of the Highland Park estate having -no. reference to . tho_ "paper roads," wo are instructed to. write as follows':— ' , Tho trustees confirm their' previous offer, of which you liavo a copy, or. as an alternative aro prepared to. modify that offer in tho following way, viz., by. leaving out all reference to tho paper roads arid reducing tho amount' payable from £10,000 to .£BOOO. Tho suggestion put forward at the meeting, that. the: trustees -. should undertake to, bear any loss on tho cost .' of .'.running the tramway for; five years, offers insurmountable legal difficulties. , This the trustees regret,'as about half the cost would- in.any ca&e> fall on the,estate, : which pays nearly half the rites of the ward. : The actual extra burden thrown, on tho' estate would, in all probability, bp-, considerably less than that occasioned by : the cash payment offered. ' c While on-the question of alternative routes, wo should like to call your attention to the .following points:— If - tho main road route: were adopted, the separate rate could, by statute, only be imposed oil the portion of the ward benefitted by the t-rannyay. - This would. exclude Goldiesbrao and a largo portion of the Highland Park estate from liability ,to pay the separate rate. Further, as a separate rate must be expended in the portion of tho ward' on which the rate. is imposed, : this would prohibit any paft of the 'moneys so raited being expended on;tho considerable portion of the line which would run-through the town belt, tho cost of which'would: be thrown on tLj city. - ;. r - . MOORHOITSE AND HADFIELD, '' Solicitors for Rhodes Trustees. 1