KARORI TRAMWAY PROPOSALS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 556, 10 July 1909, Page 10

KARORI TRAMWAY PROPOSALS.

Sir,— I Thoso ratepayers in the, Karori Bor*. . ough who are endeavouring to induce tho ratepayers as a whole to rush'blindly into all", .unprofitable expenditure-of £27,000 are mak- V. ing -a great 'dial of; tho idea tiiat' tio.tr&iSo;: on; tho proposed tram extension to .tho bor-'' ough's; redroation ground \*ill ba: so profit,able 08 to justify the extension of tho tram. This is tho trump card of the syndicate the party that is clamouring for tram extension at any cost... . , Now, tho proposed extension is almost exactly tho s&mo length as the'present Karow line. Tho faro ov«r tho extension would bo. .. the samp as that on the present-lino, vizi, twopence. Therefore, if the cars raa at tho : ■ same intervals ou each tko running expense* would-,be.tho samo.. However,; as it-is proposed to , run only half tho servioe o&'tlie pro- ;■ posed, line as on tile present one, this would* reduce the car mileage-by half, but would not reduce, maintcnanto and up-kfcep of tho : lino to that extent. It would bo fair to ' claim .that, for. tho now lino; to pay as well as V tho old 0110 .it;should.carry three-fifths aa ■ manypassengers.V . ; Now, the Mayor of 'Karori, Bpoaking ro. cently at a public council "meeting, stated that though , tho present liiio carried over - 750,000, passengers last year the'revenue ohly covcrod running expenses, with a Jifctie ' to* sparo for 'lio line is neatly new, so that up-k'eep was a light • Thus wo see. that if tlio now line ; is to; payeven running expenses it would kav<s to carry three-fifths of 750,000 ■ passengers, per year ; - i.e.,. 430,000 passengers per year,' or : about ' 9000. per week; ' ,Counting full-'. seveli . days' running per week, this ■ would' require- about ■; 1280 passengers per day.. This number, 1280, is more than tho whole population of Karori. " so that even if every man, woman,, and child in Kai-ori travelled onco per day tho lino >onld only pay bare running o.tponscs. Tho interest and .linking fund/ . amounting to •> £1485 per year, would have to he paid out of / rates. The recreation ground has to ppy its '. . own interest and sinking fund. Tho interest. and binking fund eit' tka £8000 recreation-ground-loan amonirts Ui£<4o, and lip-keep of the grounds would bring this ann#ai cast up-.,.-.to ovor £500. Only, during the fivo ; football'. months-would tho recreation ground/draw-' any traffic.' worth' noticing; Therefore', in, ' say,. 25 weeks; of football season the ground wovild have to draw £20 extra traffic on Wfid--uesdays and Saturdays; that is, GOO fares at eightpenco each,, or half -as', inajiy •; as aro drawn tci'Mirajnar-on trams; to witftess 20 • matches. Karori would have four matches, " and a spectator or player would hitvo to pay .'c ono,shilling in faros to visit tho ■■ Karoriv ground. . > . ■ . v» Surely Karori ratepayers are not ■ foohsh enough to rush into such wi ."unprofitable: mvestnient _for .the benefit of, speculators. ' : Tho suggestion that tho council may not t&irt < tho work for a ,year, oven if the loan poll is ■ earned, .is too childish for consideration.—J. am, oto., • . , B -