EXTENSION OF THE TRAMWAY SYSTEM.

Evening Post, Volume LXVIII, Issue 131, 30 November 1904, Page 5

EXTENSION OF THE TRAMWAY SYSTEM.

HOW THE SCHEME STANDS. A PROGRESS REPORT. A short time ago the ratepayers of the Melrose Ward authorised the City Council'to construct extensions of tho electric tramway service to Island Bay, Kilbirnie, and Brooklyn. Since the poll was carried, the Electrical Engineer (Mr. Wright) and his staff, assisted in certain preliminary matters of detail by the City Engineer's department, have been busily engaged upon the matter. Theie has been much surveying and taking of levels and elaboration of plans. So satisfactory has been the progress made that it is not at all improbable that the City Council, if it has not already considered the subject, will have definite plans and details placed before it almost immediately. The amount of the loan authorised for carrying out the Meirose Ward extension scheme (£77,000) is being raised locally, and already a large portion of the loan has been subscribed. The Council has yet to decide how the construction works are to be earned out, whether by contract or by day labour. The city service was constructed by contract by Messrs. Macartney, M'Elroy and Co., of London. Mr. Kerwin, the'company's superintendent and attorney, ib still in Wellington, and will remain heie until he has fulfilled the term of six months' maintenance of the service after the completion of the contract. There is a probability of the English conti actors making a bid for the work of completing the tramway system in Wellington. Thsre is likely to be some diversity of opinion in the Council as to the way in which the Oider-in-Council will be' applied for to carry out the extensions. It is agreed that the Island Bay section should be the first section of the work ■undertaken, as there will be a rush of passenger traffic to the seaside when the line taps the Bay. " One proposal is, therefore,- that the Council should apply immediately the plans aie ready for an Order-in-Council to go on with the Island Bay construction work, and that later on the Council should apply for anolher Order-in-Council for the other two extensions. Against this proposal is a desire that one authorisation order only, covering the whole of the extensions, should be applied for. It is not anticipated that there will be any difficulties raised by the Government, whether one or two authorisation orders are applied for, but the supporters of the application for the two orders argue that the island Bay extension should be treated as a matter of urgency. A serious difficulty may arise in connection with the extension of the tramway to Island Bay through some recommendations which it is stated the City Engineer has made regarding the drainage of the Island Bay district. The heavy rainfall of a few weeks ago had the effect of flooding a large portion of the old racecourse. The City Engineer was sent out to report upon the effect of the flood and to make recommendations for preventing a recurrence. The recommendations are said to be included in a complete scheme for the efficient drainage of Island Bay. Now, the route adopted by the Council for the extension of the tramway track from Duppa-street (at the city boundary) to the Bay lies right through the racecourse, and it was along this line that several feet of water covered the land at the time of the flood. If the Council altered the original plans and diverted the track along the old road around instead of through the racecourse, something like a quarter of a mile of extra tiack would have to be constructed. The original track has a straight clear run right through the district and along the Parade, and to retain this track is altogether desirable. It would therefore seem that the Electrical Engineer's plans and the City Engineer's scheme for preventing a repetition of the flooding of the old racecour.se are very closely related. It would be a waste of material and time to run the tramway track round the racecourse instead of through it, now that the broad and ample parade connects the Bay with the main road. Residents of South Wellington daily regret that the tramway track was not run through the Basin Reserve direct from Cambridge-terrace or Kent-terrace to Adelaide-road, and with this experience the Council will no doubt think twice before diverting the Island Bay track.