KARORI'S PROGRESS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXX, Issue 84, 6 October 1910, Page 7

KARORI'S PROGRESS.

TRAMWAY EXTENSION AND GAS. A SUMMARY BY THE MAYOR. The Karori Borough Council has at present the preliminaries of a l ar S e work of tramway extension in hand. The Mayor (Mr. C. I. Dasent) was interviewed by a Post reporter to-day regarding the position in which the work now stands. Mr. Dasent stated that all preparations had been made for the constructive work. The machinery for the supply of metal had "been erected and was in full working order It had been found that the plant could put out metal at a cost of 3s a cubic yard on the roads as compared with previous rates of 10s or 12s a cubic yard by contract. There were no delays and the quality of the metal was excellent. The output was at present 100 cubic yards a day. As the borough had more than 30 miles of streets the Mayor reckoned that in a few years the metal plant would easily pay for itself. It had cost £2000 to erect and with the Straker steam-wagon, and the tramway to the quarry he estimated they would be able to supply the 8000 cubic yards of metal required for the tramway extension for a total expenditure of £4800, or only £800 more than it would have cost to do the work by contract at 10s a yard. And when the work waa done by' contract, nothing would be left but the metal. Under the present system they would still have their quarry opened out and working and all- their plant. The steam-wagon cost 17s a day to run and did the work of four teamß, which cost £1 a day each. READY TO START. The tramway extension itself would fee about a mile and a half from the present terminus. The tenders for material, rails, sleepers, posts, and overhead gear, had aIJ been accepted, material to be delivered on the spot, half in three months' time, the other half a month and a half later. The total contracts amounted to £10,000. The appropriation for the work amounted to £27,500, but Mr. Dasent said he looked to keeping well within this work. The engineer would start breaking up the road about November, i the material should be on the spot in Decem ber and the whole work, it was hoped, would be completed by April next. With regard to the financial aspect Mr. Dasent said the Council -anticipated getting the loan on satisfactory terms, the nature of which he could' not at present disclose. GAS FOR THE BOROUGH. At the last meeting of the Borough Council it was decided that the borough solicitor should draw up an agreement with the Wellington Gas Company foi the laying of gas mains in the borough. Mr. Dasent explained that some years ago the Karori Borough Council gave the Gas Company permission to reticulate a certain portion of the borough (Northland), which was afterwards absorbed by the city, leaving Karori proper without gas and the company without right of entry. Recently the company had approached the Council to enter the borough and this would be granted on terms- mutually agreed upon. It was not intended that gas should be used foT street lighting or public purposes, but for private residents in their house*. With' regard to street lighting along the tramway route the City Electrical Engineer (Mr. Stuart Richardson) had recommended an improved form of arc lamp, which would probably be Adopted in timo along the tramway through the borough.