THAMWAY GRIEVANCE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3172, 24 August 1917, Page 6

THAMWAY GRIEVANCE

WADESTOWN SECTIONS Mr. W. H. Morton (Tramways Manager) reported to the City Council last evening on the mattor of tramway i sections between Lambton Quay and Wadestown (a matter raised by a deputation to the council a' month ago) as follows:—"In considering tho requests of Wadestown residents for a' readjustment of the sections on the Wadestown line, it is necessary to consider the reasons •which prompted the present arrangement. SYom the start it was well known by ; the department that the Wadestown line .would not pay for many years to come, 3>ut the Wadestown residents expressed their willingness to be rated to make up the deficiency., It waa recognised by tho . department that the ' rate would press. 'heavily on the Wadestown people, and the sections were arranged to obtain the /greatest amount of revenue in order to 'lessen the rates. Subsequently legal proceedings were taken by the Wadestown people, the result of which prevents the city levying, the rate to make up any deficiency, and the present position is that Wadestown received a tramway at the city's expense, without city ratepayers voting on "the proposal, which appears on the face of it to be in contravention of the requirements of the Municipal Corporations Act. "The Wadestown residents, having now been relieved of special rating,, and the line having been absorbed ss part of tho city system, aro further "ontending for an ..equalisation of other conditions, the most important being that the' sections should approximate to the length of those in other parts of the city. The lengths of the, seotions are as follow :— ' \ Chains. :Veitch and Allan's to Government Buildings ■ •-.- l uS Government Buildings to Park St. 45i Pajk Street to Kidbrook Street ... 43 Kidbrook Street to_ terminus 52 ,"By means of concession tickets Wadestown. residents are enabled to travel from the terminus to the centre -f the city . tor twopence, and to Government Buildings for■■' twopence, and vice versa. In ,view of the heavy'gradient I do not consider the charges excessive, but it is invariably the case that the service to Brooklyn is brought into comparison. In ' view of the serious financial condition - into which the Tramway Department is ■'. gradually drifting owing to the war and "other conditions beyond the control of v , the department, I am of opinion that the present is not an opportune time to grant the requests, but would be quite prepared, when- normal conditions " are .'.again existing, to recommend that one /section bo ctit out and others lengthen- ' ed, as follow:—Veitch and Allans to Government Buildings; , Government ■Buildings to Orchard Street; Orchard

Street to terminus. ' "The Tramways Committee subsequently repcrted to the council recommending that on. and after October 1 next th'e following be the sections'on this route:— ,Veitch and Allan's to Government Buildings; Government Buildings to Orchard • Street; Orchard Street to terminus." • Referring to the report, Councillor 'Atkinson thought that the Engineer was .light when he said that the Wadestown people had entered into certain responsibilities which they did not carry out. He ad- . mitted that through winning the lawsuit WadestowTi people had got more than they were equitably entitled to. Ho and every\ self-respecting resident knew .that, but they felt that they had a grievance and had been placed in the position of going for all or nothing, and they had gained all, and that was too much. Councillor MUCenzie said that_ the tramway would never have been laid to Wadestown had: the people there not entered into the agreement, which the Court annulled. He moved that the recommendation be referred back. Councillor W. Hildroth referred to the council having been "rooked" by the .Wadestown people, and as he,-.porson-.. ally, had attended meetings at Wadestown where it had been made quite clear what rate they were imposing on themselves, he thought the clause should be referred back. ■ Councillor Frost spoke in favour of tho recommendation. He thought that even if the Wadestown people, had won a law case that should not prevent them getting justice as to the length of sections, which in some cases were not as long as some sections in other parts of the system. Councillor FitzgeTald said the recommendation of the committee was going to remove one of the most glaring anomalies in Wellington. ; Councillor Luckie asked if they were to differentiate between sections in outlying districts, as they were in the case of Wadestown. Should they i-ot shorten ' the sections on other lines-to Brooklyn and Aro Street, for example? If they were to regulate the sections according to tho manager's report they must adopt tho length of sections on all lines in outlying districts. ' ~' - T l The Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) said that if the Wadestown people had brought ' rbout a condition they did rot expect or hope for, they should loyally abide by tho decision of tho Court. The people of Wadestown were the people of lington, and they should look upon the whole of the tramways as- one bit of machinery to servo tho. wholo of the public as equitably as possible Councillor It. A. Wright thought that the sections on tho Wadestown line were ill arranged, and he instanced tho fact that tho fare was Id. from the Govern- • mont Buildings to Park Street, and it was only Id. right on to the Botanical Gardens. Councillor M'Kenzie's amendment to Tefer the matter back to the committee ■was lost, • and tho report (including the clause quoted) was adopted.