COMMUNICATION WITH KARORI

Evening Post, Volume LXVIII, Issue 101, 26 October 1904, Page 2

COMMUNICATION WITH KARORI

-*- — AN INFLUENTIAL DEPUTATION. MEETING OF THE COUNCIL. The urgent necessity which exists for better . communication between Wellington and Karori was the subject upon which a large and influential deputation vi aited •on the Karori Borough Council last evening. Mr. Harold Beauchamp, who headed the deputation, said the whole of the Councillors, as well as ratepayers, were impressed with the necessity for putting on a better service between Karori and the city. The question had been under consideration for some time, and had been allowed to driftf. Nothing of a tangible character was being brought about for the end in view. The present methods of vehicular conveyance were quite inadequate, as was shown last night, when, owing to the extremely boisteious weather, the 'buses were crowded. The experience which passengers had in getting a seat reminded him of working in a scrum in the old football days. He referred to the great growth of Karori, and said in 1894 it had a. population of 960, five years later it had increased to 1096, "whilst in 1904 it was 1650. In 1894 there were 190 dwellings in Karori, in 1899 213, and in 1904 329. Since January of this year, fifty-one permits to erect dwellings had been issued. The Northland, east and west, portion of the borough, was unsubdivided in 1894. This year it had n,. population of 480, and contained ninety-five dwellings. Any scheme propounded should serve both Karori and Northland. During the past year different schemes had been considered by the Council. Electrical motor 'buses had been suggested, and finally motor 'buses propelled by petrol had been spoken of. With respect to the former, the deputation was of opinion that the Council was not in a position to incur an outlay which would be necessary to instal the system: The information before them concerning the subject was meagre, and the deputation felt that if the Council adopted it and erected overhead electrical wires it would be emharking on a great sppculation. (Hear, hear.) He had not yet seen the system, and he could not spe.ik of it with authority. On the other hand motor 'buses progelled by petrol were used with success for carrying passengers in different parts of the world, and the deputation was of opinion that this system would be applicable to Karori. Then came the question whether the 'buses should bt provided by the Council or syndicates. The latter would have no difficulty; in installing such a service. They would probably ask that a certain sum, say ,£SOOO, should be' expended orf improving the roads between Karori and Wellington. To meet this- the Council would probably have to raise a loan of £5000 at the rate of 4£ per cent., and an additional per cent, for a sinking fund. At present it would mean a, tax on the ratepayers of 5-16ths of a penny on £197,056 on the unimproved value. -This would amount to a, charge of £256 11s Bd. Next year, when property was re-valued, the present unimproved value would probably be doubled, and the rate then required would be only 5-32nds of a penny. This service would confer a boon, not only on the inhabitants of Karori, but on the inhabitants of Wellington as well. Kavori was the most attractive suburb that Wellington possessed, and its progress was being retarded by the residents haying to depend on the old-time 'bus service for travelling to and from town. The "buses had served their ' time, and the deputation thought it was wellfjr the Karori Borough Council to swing with the times. The cemetery attracted hundreds of people from town, and if the residents of Karori and Northland backed the Coifflcil by showing the interest they had displayed hi this vital question, the Council would have a very strong plank to work on. The Councillors could then remove the stigma cast on them by having a proper and up-to-date service. -The Mayor (Mr. Pearce) stated it was usual for a, deputation to give the Council forty-eight hours' notice before waiting on it. He did not know that they intended bringing this subject bt-fore the Council until he cattle to the Council Chambers last evening. (Cries of "Oa.!''j Mr. "Beauchamp : Vve appreciate your courtesy in receiving us to-night. The Mayor then gave a resume of the work the Council had done in connection with tramway matters. He said the Councillors first considered a tramway scheme involving an outlay of £50,000, and then Mr. Allo's electric 'bus service, involving <m expenditure of £20,000. They decided on making full enquiries on botn these schemes before putting them before the ratepayers. They had cabled to France for information respecting tho working of Mr. Allo's scheme, and had found that the overhead electric 'bus system worked splendidly. A report was being forwarded giving details in connection with the cable, and was expected to arrive by the next San Francisco mail. The Council had arranged to hold a tramway > meeting next Friday, and if the deputation had waited a little longer the Council could have put something tangible before it. They proposed putting two schemes before the ratepayers, and he intended moving next Friday that one of the two schemes be adopted. The feeling of tho ratepayers would then be tested on the matter, the matter would probably be placed before them in six weeks if the Council decided on the tramway system, but if they chose Mr. Allo'a f^stem they must wait for the information coming by the San Francisco mail. He explained that h£ had been laid up for several months, but had pushed the matter ahead to the utmost of his ability. He heard some members of the deputation laughing. He expected that if those gentlement Ivefe on tne Council ihey would do no better than tne present Councillors. Councillor Henderson said people wero already interesting themselves in Mr. Allo's system. One tender for the work would reach them in the course of three weeks. He had considered both systems fully, and was of opinion that the electric 'bns system was superior to the motor cars Mr. Beauchamp said they simply wanted to co-operate with the Council and see that -some means of communication was provided. He pointed out that if the Allo system proved a failure the cars would bo useless for anything else. The motor cars had been a success wherever tried. In some places governing bodies had actually taken up rails on which they ran electric trams and introduced the motor-car service. The deputation wished this system to be considered by the Council along with the other schemes. The Mayor said he would have to con suit the Council on tho subject. He then explained that the deputation comprised, the largest number of ratepayers who had ever attended one of their Council meetings. Invariably the only persons who attended were borough employees. That was the interest- ratepayers took in the Council, and if things went behind it was their own fault. If they attended the meetings and saw the way Councillors worked he was sure they would alter their opinion a great deal. Mr. Beaucbamp said he had been con-

nected with, public bodies for many years, and found that invariably reporters were the only outsiders present. The people, he said, interested themselves in the meetings through the newspaper reports. 't'ho deputation then withdrew, and the Councillors sat back in their chairs, lighted their pipes, and proceeded with the general business of the borough.