TRAM EXTENSION. KARORI LOAN PROPOSALS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 9, 10 July 1909, Page 2

TRAM EXTENSION. KARORI LOAN PROPOSALS.

TO BE DECIDED AT THE POLL. The Karori Borough Council projects an extension of the present local tram system from the present terminus If miles along the Main road to the Recreation Ground. The council proposed a loan of £27,500 and a special rate of 1 l-sd. in the £. Between sixty and seventy ratepayers attended a statutory meeting last evening to consider the proposals, and agreed by a 29 to 22 majority that the question should be decided at the poll, to be taken on 28th July. Rolls close on the 14th inst. The Mayor (Mr. C. I. Dasent) presided and outlined the proposals. The sum, £27,500— £25,050 for tramway purposes and £2450 for the purchase of a stone crusher and appurtenances — is made up as follows, Mr. Stuart Richardson, city electrical and tramways engineer, being responsible for the estimate of cost of overhead equipment, and Mr. Morton, city engineer, for that of the permanent way :—: —

The cost of running for the first year would be £2500. This would include four exti-a cars run daily, and a larger number on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. The : Mayor pointed out that if the stone-crushing, machinery was obtained the ballasting "of the line would cost something like £4750, and they would then, have plant valued after depreciation at £2115. He calculated that the borough would make £1660 by buying the machinery. Its future use for roadmaking was emphasised. He wished to impress on the ratepayers that the surplus on the present service could not be used to recoup the loss anticipated. Any such balance should go first to the replacement reserve, and. after that to the relief of the interest and sinking fund. Each system must stand on its own.. The projected first year loss would come out of the. general fund of the borough. This general fund was limited by law to l-£d in tho £ on the capital value. On £521,841 a rate of 1-id would return £3261. And after the" general services of the borough had been provided for, any overplus would go towards the extended system. He might tell them that a loss was expected when the present, system was first opened, but as- a matter of fact, after the- initial fortnight— when a loss of but £6 wae incurred — the line paid and continued to pay well. Karori's liabilities to-day amounted to three-fifths of £62,000, plus a loan of £2000, which, had been expended on the recreation reserve. If the proposed loan^ were ratified, the aggregate indebtedness would be £29,500 plus the three-fifths of the before-mentioned £62,000. It was the intention of the council, if the proposals were carried, not to proceed with the work until the beginning «f 1910, and they anticipated a completion about the middle of the year. The special rate would not be collected, Tinder these circumstances, until the latter end of 1911. This delay would be made because money at present' was very hard to get, and the council wished to allow of the development of the Lancaster-street side of the borough in the meantime; which would assuredly take place with the knowledge that the extension was coming. The; development of the borough could never proceed satisfactorily, the speaker ■considered, • without tho projected tram service. If, within two years, the work was not begun, the proposal should lapse. ■Mr. Dasent concluded with a reference to the undoubted possibilities attached to traffic of sportsmen and players to the recreation ground, where the extension would cease, and where there was accommodation for 25 teams. As it was, since the ground was completed, tho 'bus takings had more than doubled. (Applause.) THE SCHEME FAVOURED. Councillor Cathie seconded the motion that the loan proposal should be submitted to a poll. A main artery through the district was what he had always looked forward to. It was a direct breach of faith of the ratepayers in Northland and Kelburne to leave them in Karon to face the problem of the tramway finances, after these two places had received «o much benefit. As to the Mayor's statement of the extension, he thought his Worship had over-stated the responsibilities of the case. Councillors Raine and Hildreth also spoke strongly supporting the prqposal. ADVERSE AND OTHER COMMENTS. Mr. J. W. Henderson (chairman of the Karori Ratepayers' Association) criticised the proposals at some length. He reminded his hearers that they would have to pay for any losses — which had been anticipated — and the special rate too. A tram system, taken 33 a general thing, never met the interest on this cost of construction until it ran a ten minutes service. He was certain that the Recreation Ground traffic would' never be so large as that of the traffic to the cemetery. The cars should be run as frequently 1 as at present for the scheme to be successful. The speaker was subjected to a good deal of raillery in the form of interjections. In reply to a questioner, the cnanman said that if tho proposals were carried he had the informal assurance oi' certain of the officers administering the central system that a twenty minutes service — conditions as at present — would be obtained. To another interrogation, the chairman stated that, so far, no syndicate had offered the .slightest financial assistance CARRIED. After fuither speakers had commented on the proposals, and the chairman had replied, the resolution was put to the meeting, and was declared carried by 29 votes to 22.

Overhead equipment. \ 10,910 Permanent way 7,619 Metal 2,400 Crushing Plant 1,500 Steam waggon 850 Sheds 100 Road widening 150 Cost raising loan 150 Interest and sinking fund at 6 per cent, first year 1,620 Contingencies and supervision ... 2,201 £27,500

tables Overhead feeders Overhead construction ... Stops and signs Frack arc lighting Frack telephones Boosters Slock 3,700 2.300 2,750 ... "... 40 600 200 1,300 /20 £10,910

Details of the overhead equipment are :