SHORT CUT WANTED.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 672, 24 November 1909, Page 8

SHORT CUT WANTED.

KARORI AND ITS TRAMS/ v :i CITY COTmCIL- TO ;BE: APPBOACHED.C : Tho dosiro of Karori; residents for a closer connection' by": tramway'. with ' the _': city';; •waa again in", evidehpo at last' night's ■.'ineoting of the Karori Borough'-Council, on too resumption of the debate on the: following motion; which was moved at tho previous meeting by Councillor. K.'.H. Wedde:—', ;:■•';'.■■.'. That■ a;committee be set up'to meet theV Tramways Committee of ..the- Wellington. '■ City Council for the purposo of .discussing ;. the practicability ; and advisability of . shortening the tramway between', tho city. and Karori,' and especially .to ascertain (1) ■ if the City Council will approve of tho laying down by the , Karori Borough Council of a tramway to connect tho Kolburae-; Karori Cable Company's line with tho.es-;' isting tram at or near the viaduct, or, alternatively (2) if the City Council, in order to avoid tho circuitous .route now existing . by way of Tinakori Road, will construct and, run a tramway by way of tunnel, .cutting, etc,.per Mason's steps, or some . other suitable point on Lambton Quay, connecting with the Tinakori lino at. GHenbervie Cutting, or at-the terminus, or with ; ,the, Karori line along the lower end of the ■ Main Eoad at-a suitable point. _The debate' was resumed by 'Councillor Wedde/ who said he wished to urge ,';hat the. matter should be seriously -considered. He .wished negotiations to be opened up, with the City- Council,, and would, not ask the borough to commit itself at present in any way. The existing line was not growing, in popularity as it should. The proposed route, Via Kelburne and the cable tram, would bo 29 chains, shorter than the existing line. ,Tbis would mean a saving, of more than .£1 Ms. a day, Ml 18s a week, or .£619 16s. a year, in cost of running! The additional revenue would be at least .£750 a year, and the people v would get into-town for a halfpenny less than the present fare. In regard to adjustment with the Citv Council, it would be a good thing for the borough to be.able to 6bow that its line was a success. Thero had .been'a falling, off last year in the traffic. .They : wanted a line that'would bo: popular and would be an inducement to people to .reside ; in the. borough....

The; Mayor's : Views. ■■■,"■ \ _The, Mayor (Mr: C. I. Dasent) '' congratulated Councillor .'Wedde _on: the'thorough way iu' which he had'goneintb tho matter. Ho felt that the.6eryice on- the present' lino could ; not bo droppedj and : there would''thus be two lines carrying' one traffic, and neither would pay. .The position, now was not what it was a few .years/ago,. nor"what-.it might be throe' years hence. , What was. req.uirod was a short out from the. Botanical Gardens or lower Twelve months hence the Molesworth7 Street line would have to carry the hew Wadestown troific, and tho City Council 'would :then' be ob.iged to form another Karori route.' But if. Karori offered' to put .down' a line at- its' own ■ expense' across Kelburne, the city would jump at the offer, and the borough -would thus be paying for what the city would otherwiso' have to pay. for.; The line to the' Botanical Gardens had-been laid at a cost to the borongh; of nearly : .£10,000 : (including road '.widen-" ing).: How it was proposed to pay the initerest andsinking fund on the new line, --and pay. also - for the Karori! extension, and;keep up' both routes to Wellington' for the one traffio,,he could not see". To use an 'Americanism,.the .borough- had :bitten off about aB much as it -could chew. The general: rate would have to be made as. high as possible.- If thev made >a' new line across Kelburne,'.it- would have to bear the loss 'on the old lino. If the council were not committed to the extension flchemo, the 'Kelburne prop'osal might be , feasible. - Jhe adjustment < with the city might . alter.f. tie -'i whole ! ; Isitnation.' Why should not. the extension of. the Aro Street bneto connect with'the "Karori line; be considered? Suppose the matter were carried forward;toi the: stage of .a •poll, and the proposal' tlien,defeated, what public body would have to pay the expenses? ';;,.;";". '■ ':; ;::;.;; 'What' Wouid'the;;Rate BeW/ ;V" ■ • Councillor'Burn'expressed sympathy with Councillor Wedde's 'proposals,' but .said' -the ' reasoning of ';the: Mayor iiad caused him to decide to vote against the; motion.' • A ■;. Councillor Hildreth'said the borongh needed population, -and-would not get it as long: as it took twenty-fiveiminutes-to reach Lambfon 'Quay.i i The, rate*!on<Kelbnrn'eJ ■'Northland; and :Karori for,the construction.of the train.line to . ;connecti!:With,'ithe.'i cabled .can' wbilld < be covered: ,'bjr.a'-rate of-one-tenths of a ponny in'tho :'j!.' .Ho.did not favour the Aro. Street route/ and ho did .not think the.City; Council would on', tertain -the proposal 'to, make* a;,tunnel' from' Mee's Steps. .. ;,..:.["'■/, ~.-, ~,!,->'.'.--.■.(,. ".. Couhcillor Stahden supported the motion,', and emphasised its '.non-committal character, v ,:- •Councillor Eaine said' he thought all coun-5 cillors agreed that, a shorter route was required,, but.': thero were difficulties', in the; way." ■;'. Ho thought a tunnel to Lambton Quay would be better than the Kelburne route,,;and would onablo people ; to get to town as .quickly.' ,-Ho would like to see,the city undertake-;the, work. Tho:. city ,was; losing,. .by; ; people walking from - the i. Botanical , Gardens, to, the Quay, and the; growth; of .tho borough-,was: being hindered.', No' harm; could' be,', done .by. having'a committee set;up to obtain information. .•,:'.:,''-:■■';,,'.'--. .:..'., ;;•:.;/'.:' ;-'■'.■,;;' : -■.■•'•':

~'■[ ' '-;- . ,; Ah. Amendment. '/.'• ~.':;. . /Councillor, Cathie -said'the. matter,-would ■'■he better deferred until, after: the adjustment with tho city had been effected. The City; Council might be more willing to' make a'.lihe up SyaV noy Street. .He moved .an amendment in the direction ;of setting, up su committee' to con. suit, with, tho • oityl authorities; but without. naming, any special schemes,' '. ; . This was .seconded by. - /Welling and supported; by, Councillor Burn.' : ■'■':- '■■ , Councillor Weddo. said-there would bo: no line .up .Sydniiy Street so long, as'the. Government did* nothing in. regard to , ; riow Parliamentary. -Buildings. '■■:'■''.'■■ ' - ; V Councillor' Cathie said he . and -his sympa-thisers-would prefer the tunnel scheme if it were possible.; He'■; did : .riot see that there would/be 'any..need to keep up' the Tinakori Koad service*.-as well, as the:new'one. . People would 'patronise, the best;route .exclusively, and therother could bo abandoned by getting the Order-in-Cbuhcil'cancelled.' ,' His proposal was' a'. sound';..business -schome. ;■•. . ■•..' i-.'. ■ After further • discussion, the amendment was carried; as follows:—'.. , v . —v'

.That a comrriittee;bo set up to'meetthe tramways Committee ,of., the -.Wellington. City ; Council 'for the purpose of' discussing the practicability and advisability of shortening the tramway ;ronto-between tho.'city and -Karon.. ': ; .;.,.■;.':.',

Mayor, and. Councillors Cathio,'JS'airio; Walmsley, Wedde,. and; Sildreth -were;- ap■pointed as a committee.'' 1 ■■ ■: • ;.: