TRAMWAY CONNECTION

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1072, 10 March 1911, Page 5

TRAMWAY CONNECTION

CONSTABLE STREET AGAIN. DEPUTATION TO CITY COUNCIL. A largo deputation waited on the City Council last night to urge tho claims of tho proposed Constable- Strcet-Kilbiruw tramway connection. Tho Hon. T. W. Hislop said he had been asked by a number of people in the vicinity to bring up tho matter of tho Constable Street connection, which had been practically approved by tho council some years ago. Tho council now had J.'13,0U0 to tho credit of tho depreciation fund, which could bo used for tho purpose, iho work had been estimated to cost from £ 18,000 to .£23,000, and there could be no doubt that it would pay. There wcro other looso funds besides the balance' of the depreciation fund that could bo used for tho purpose. Mr. R. A. Wright, M.P., said that 25,000 to 30,000 people wore directly interested m tho line, viz., all those living to tho south of I'irie Street. Tho Newtown Library and Museum, St. Helens Hospital, (to be erected), the General Hospital, Newtown Park, and tho Zoo all needed more direct connection with the eastern suburbs. Tho recreation grounds and seaside resorts at Kilbirnie, Lyall Bay, and Minimar should be made more accessiblo to tho people of South Wellington. If they could not get to the Lyall Bay beach, they would agitato for swimming baths at Wellington South. Tho council's decision to erect car repairing sheds at Lyall Bay seemed also to make tho Constable Street extension necessary.

Dr. Cameron said that there would bo no difficulty in finding a syndicate to take, up the matter as a business proposition. The Mayor (Mr. Wilford) 6aid tho council would absolutely decline to let any syndicate exploit tho tramways so far aa tho running was concerned. (Hear, hear.) Ho thought that when tho ratepayers had tho balance-sheet for the current year tefore them, they would find that the-e had been no unjustifiableprocrastination. He approved of the Uso; of depreciation funds for such lines, but. the council could not at present afford to do this work out of depreciation funds. Ho believed that this extension would; havo to bo done—{hear, hear)—and ho thought all tho councillors would say tho same. When the poll was taken a few years ago on a proposal to borrow •£22,000 for this work, only 534 voted for it, and 1210 against. Before tho workcould be undertaken another poll would have to bo taken. He believed in tho extension of this route and all the routes to tho suburbs, but until reports wcro. forthcoming from the City Engineer and the City Electrical Engineer, it would bo impossible to put forward a concrete scheme. If- it was n payable proposal, tho council would be prepared ,to enter into it, but if it was not, no agitation, would havo any effect upon them. After tho deputation had withdrawn, tho matter was referred to the Tramways Committee to report.