HAPPY WADESTOWN.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1170, 4 July 1911, Page 6

HAPPY WADESTOWN.

THE COMING OF THE CARS,

TRAMWAY OPENED. •SUBURB'S BRIGHT FUTURE. Fourteen months ago the first sod.of .tho Wadestown tramway-was turned, and yesterday the lino was formally opened amid all-round congratulations by the Deputy-Mayor (Mr. J. Smith) in the unavoidable absence through illness of the Mayor (Mr! T. M. Wilford, M.P.). Councillors .who attended the-ceremony were: Messrs. A. R. Atkinson,, li: Fletcher, ,T. E. Fitzgerald, J. Godber, G. Frost, J. Fuller, juii., D. M'Laren; and G. Shirtcliffe. Also present were the Mayoress (Sirs. Wilford), Mr. and Mrs. .F. ;I'. Luke, Mr. A. L. llerdman, M.I 1 ., Mr; R. W. Holmes (Chief Engineer to the Public Works'-De-partment), Dr. Newman, Mr.R. B. Williams, who was Mayor of Onslow Borough when' it included Wadestown, ex-Council-lors'Murdoch, Thompson, and Ballinger, Mr.' J. I{. Palmer (Town Clerk), Mr; XV. M. Morton (City Engineer), Mr. S. Richardson (City .Electrical Engineer), Mr. M. Cable (Assistant Tramway Engineer), Mr. C. E. James (Traffic Superintendent), Mr.'J. Ames (City Valuer),' Mr. C. Collins (City Treasurer), and Mr. K. Tait (Assistant Town Clerk); Messrs. Miirchbanks and Xicholls, respectively engineer and secretary to the Harbour Board, and many XVadestown residents, among them Mr. E. XVylie (chairman of the XVadestown Municipal Electors' Association). Three cars, filled with passengers, made the journey out from the city to tho sceno of the opening, leaving the Post Office at 10.30 a.m. The journey was made in pleasant sunshine, which continued throughout. The splendid views to be obtained from the line, and its picturesque setting, were greatly admired cn route. At Pitt Street, which is the temporary terminus, many, local residents had assembled to meet the Deputy-Mayor and his party. In all there were considerably more than two hundred people present.

Address by the' Deputy-Mayor. The actual opening ceremony was brief. In a short address the deputy-Mayor expressed regret at the absence of the Mayor (Mr. T. M, Wilford). The first sod of the Wadestown line, Mr. Smith continued, had been turned by Dr. Newman during his term as Mayor. Dr. Newman had rendered very great service in connection with the inauguration of this tramway, which was practically certain to extend in time to JS'gaio, Khandallaii, Creswiek, and other parts. As an instance of the boncfit conferred on a district" by the building of-a tramway, Mr. Smith cited f he ease of Brooklyn, -which had doubled its housing accommodation during tao past five years. The Wildestown district had a greiit future in store. Lying behind it there was a considerable amount of land availablo for building, and tho value of these areas would now be raised. Tho loan raised for the building of this tram, Mr. Smith stated, amounted to .£33,000. The engineer's estimate as to tho cost of tho work, exclusive of land purchased, was J527.523. Of this amount X 23.323 had-been expended, leaving over JEMAOO available for the completion of the line to its total length of 97 chains. Ninety chains had now'been completed. The difference between the amount of the loan • and the engineer's estimate (£5500) was to provide for the purchase of .land,'preliminary expenses, and tho first .year's interest on the loan. Of this amount JE3405 had been expended. Included in tho latter sum wasan amount of £2527 for the purchaso of property at the .corner of Grqnt Road and' l'eatherston Torrace, which'returned an aflnual rental of .£'l2o. .The time: sinco the project was first taken in baud'seven years ago might seem long, -but it" was' not. actually so in view of the difficulties that had been surmounted.' To actually carry , out the work of constructing tho line had taken-H months. It was very creditablo to tho engineers that they had been able, to carry out tho work in tho time stated, 'Olr. Smith ' congratulated Wadestown residents- on • tho compaction of the work. He hoped they would experience its benefits immediately,- ' ami that an extremely marked progress would set in from ■ this auspicious day.- Beforo ho concluded, tho deputy-Mayor expressed appreciation of the manner-in which the city engineer (Mr. W. H. "Morton) had overcomo difficulties and carried out the

work. Mr.. Smith spoke also of the excellent work (lone by tho head of the Electrical Department (Mr. and by subordinate officers in both departments. To the officers of 'the. Public Works Department also gratitude was due for the manner in which (hey had facilitated the final operations. In conclusion, he formally , declared; the line open. Extensions Foreshadowed. Mr. J. T. Luke, ex-councillor and M.F. for the Suburbs seat, endorsed the utterances of tho Deputy-Mayor, and statfd that tho people of AYadcstown very much appreciated the arrival of the tramway. Ho believed that ultimately this, line would be extended right through the valley to Johnsonville. Mr. Luke was confident that the time. was near when charges on the line would be rcduced. Concluding, Mr. Luke spoke of the excellence of the work carried out by able engineers, backed up with a splendid stalf. Nowhere had he seen an electric tramu'fty carried through in face of greater difficulties than at AVadestown.

• "Come Into Their Own." Dr. Newman began characteristically. "At last, people of Wadestown," ho said, "you have como into your own.Tho Mayor and Mr. Luko have told you about what the city has done, but, if you had not put up the stuff, they would not have had the tramway.-" -" Proceeding, Dr.-New-man stated that tho project of building tho Wadestown line on the adopted route was first raised when Mr. C'arswell Cook and others called at the speaker's room while ho was.-Mayor. Afterwards, .'Mr. Morteu surveyed and approved tile route. 'Now they had tho tramway. "It will be a joy and a thing of beauty to you for ever," declared Dr. Newman.- A loss had been suggested of .£IOOO a year, but personally he did not tliink there would be a greater annual loss than three or four hundred for the next two or three years. Wadestown did not want a luxurious tenminute gel-vice. The thing to do was to develop the back country. A. bridge should lie thrown over the Kaiwarra.

"Ask all. your friends up to tea, and show them the beauties of Wadestown," urged Dr. Newman. "That will help the trams, and you will have, less taxation to pay." "Wadestown, lie continued, was the suburb having the largest, area of land available for. building. He understood that a large amount of this land was to come into the market at oner! These things taken into accouut the tramway might be expected soon to pay its v.ay. . "In conclusion." said Dr. Newman, "I hope you will have a very happy time with this tram. You can bring people up, and take them over Sir George Grey's - military ■ road, and show them seme of the most beautiful country in New Zealand. -There-is only one .man who knows how beautiful the scenery is in Wellington. 1 awl. it is I." (Applause.) Mr. I'. Wylic (chairman of the AYadfstown Electors' Association) thanked the Deputy-Mayor for opening the line, and other visitors for attending. Even should there be a loss on the tramway for a time, Mr. AYylie remarked, the value of property- would rise, and tho city would collect more from Wadestown residents in general rales. lie invited cheers, which were heartily Riven, for the Mayor, the city engineer, and the electrical engineer, and Air. Palmer (Town Clerk).

Tbo?e who attended the ceremony were then invited by the ladies of AVadestown to partake of light refreshments, which were served in the Social Hall. Councillor D. M'T.arcn thanked the Indies, m behalf of the visitor 4, for their kindiuss, and Councillor G. Shirtcliffe replied on behalf of the ladies.

SECTIONS AND FARES. THE FINANCIAL BASIS. The final terminus of the AVadestown tramway line will Ijo at n point seven chains beyond (ho present terminus at Pitt. Street. It has been decided to divide the line between this point, and a terminus near the Hotel Cecil into three penny sections, The first section will extend from the city -"terminus to-. Park Street, the next from-Park Street to Kidhniok Street, and the third from • Kidbrook Street to the terminus, The hc-

lion from the eit.v to Park Street is ■!.'! chains lout;, and the others arc about 48 chains. A concession ticket, available for twejve trips between J'ark Street and Die Wadestown terminus, is already on

sale for Is. lid. In a day or two a concession ticket, good for twelve rides between XVadestown anil Lambton Station, will be .in'sale fur 25., and another, pood for twelve rides from Kidbrook Street to Lambton Station, for Is. Gil. These tickets will be sold at.a depot in Wadestown and at all city depots.

These',-ect'ons and fares havo not yet been finally adopted by the City Council, but' (hey have been approved by the Tramways Committee. The sections are shorter than on any existing city lines. Brooklyn has one penny section 47 chains lc.ng, from Manners Street to Webb Street. The section from. Webb Street to the terminus at the ton of the hill is Bli chains long. It is claimed, however, that no comparison can fairly be instituted between Brooklyn and Wadestown. On Brooklyn a ten-minute service is run. and at rush hours this is more than doubled. It is estimated that a thirty-minute service, increased to a fif-teen-minute servioo at rush hours, will meet the needs of Wadestown for sonio time to come. Moreover, although its grades are rather steep, the curves on the Wadestown line - are much, more abrupt than on the Brooklyn tramway. Working these curves, it is considered, will entail a much heavier cost in wear and tear on rails and car-trucks than upon any other city line. The' position of Wadestown is very different from that of suburban boroughs connected with the city by tramways. Tho boroughs havo not only to find interest and working fund on the capital cost of their tramways,, but havo to provide for repairs, depreciation, and losses in working." Wadestown will simply be called 1 upon to provide interest and sinking fund upon the tramway loan by means of special depreciation and repairs, and working losses will be borne by the cijy in general.

In' the evening the Wadestown Social C'lub signalised the opening of the tramway by giving a ball. The Social Hall was prettily decorated for_ the occasion, and, local residents and visitors from the city attended in considerable numbers. Several members of the City Council were among the guests. The function proved in every way successful.