THE ELECTRIC TRAMWAYS. SOME NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Evening Post, Volume LXVIII, Issue 88, 11 October 1904, Page 6

THE ELECTRIC TRAMWAYS. SOME NOTES AND COMMENTS.

The trolley-arm was torn out of its standard on a double-decker car yesterday afternoon whilst the car was turning the. Caledonian Hotel Corner, and in falling the arm struck Mr. William Hartley on the head. He was taken into the hotel, and subsequently suffered from the effects of concussion of the brain, being attended by Dr. M'Lean. Citizens who have been using the Con-stable-street section of the new service are complaining of the .action of the Corporation in stopping the through running of cars to and from the top of Con-stable-street without giving due notice. A -number of people lost much time yesterday waiting for a Constable-street car, only to find eventually that Con-stable-street cars were no longer running from the 1 Government Railway Station. One complainant says that it is ridiculous" to keep a car running up and down such a -short length of line as the Con-stable-street section, and that people who get off the Newtown car will rather walk ,than pay the extra penny. Cars run constantly on the Roseneath .and the Island Bay sections only, and, excepting at the busy times when thb cars run right through, passengers have to transfer on to the main line off tho sectional lines. It is said that greater economy of management results from this system as against running the cars right through. "Waiting," a resident of Thorndon, •writes protesting against the delay in opening the section from the Government Railway Station to the Botanical Gardens. The track has been completed for about a month, and the express route was installed three weeks ago. He adds : "The electric light wires, we are told, ia the obstruction. If this is so, why not finish the work of raising them? There appears to be only a few days' work to be done hi Molesworth-street/and yet the men on tbe job have not been seen since Thursday laat." The filling in of the track from Wal-lace-street to Upper Cuba-street has betn completed to 'within 50yds of Veitcb and Allan's corner. The roadway over which the track goes is being greatly improved by the operations. There was a shortage of shingle yesterday owing to a rising, .of the Hutt River. But supplies were again available to»day.

The Hutt County Council held its monthly meeting this morning, Councillor R. Bould presiding. A deputation from Johnsonville ratepayers, consisting of Messrs. F. J. Moore, W. Cook, and G. E. Mansfield, waited upon the Council to ask a question and make a request. The question was one that has already been very much discussed and fully reported : "Why were our rates doubled?" The request was that the rates should be reduced by half. The opinion expressed by the deputation was that the rates should have been reduced rather than increased, especially so far as Johnsonville was concerned. During the general discussion which followed, Councillor Townsend, who warmly supported the- deputation, said that Seatoun was paying the Hutt Council £1900 per annum, Johnsonville was paying £400, and -Makara £2400, and Makara and Seatoun were getting no attention in return. Councillor Bould repeated the only reply the Council has to make : That the new fates were levied in anticipation of the expenses for the current year and for the ■purpose'Of wiping off the overdraft. Mr. Mcore then said, that the deputation had been authorised to 'inform the Council that, failing to get a satisfactory reply, the ratepayers of Johnsonville would join hands with the Seatoun people in bringing a test caee before the Court against the Council. The Council decided that it could not go back upon the action it has already taken. • - Mrs. .Thomaseon, daughter of the late Mr. Samuel Isaacs, of London, and niece of Mr. John Bright, by the will of her husband, the late Mr. John Fenningto'n Thomasson, formerly Liberal M.P. for Bolton, becomes one of the richest women in England. As residuary legatee Mrs. Thomaason will have apparently at her absolute dieposalabout £I^ooo,ooo, .