THE TRAMWAYS

Evening Post, Volume LXXXV, Issue 20, 24 January 1913, Page 3

THE TRAMWAYS

CITY COUNCIL AND LATE ' SITTINGS ■ QUESTION OF ADJOURNMENT. After 10.30 o'clock last night the City Council was engaged on the discussion of the following notice of motion submitted by Councillor Cameron : —"That the Tramway Board of Management.be instructed to furnish a report to the Tramways Committee on the following proposals, etc. :-— "(1) On the number of passengers carried on each city section for the four weeks ended, Bth December, 1912, giving a comparison with the number carried on the old sectioti for the corresponding period' of last year. ."(2) Giving* the following* alterations in the regular tramway sections a trial : For. all trams travelling north via Courtenay-place, end of' section to be opposite the Royal Oak Hotel. For all trams travelling south, end of section to be opposite Taranaki-street. Regular end of section on ail Cuba-street lines to be opposite the Roj^al Oak HoteL Johnstreet end of section to be shifted to Drummond-street and Duppa-street end of section to be. removed to Chilkastreet. ' ' - • "(3) On the question of introducing an overlapping ticket system with sections radiating from the General Post Office and south end of Featherston-street 'on all lines passing or radiating from these points; thereby replacing the present regular sections at Cambridge-terrace and Veitch and- Allan's Corner with overlapping • s/ctiong from the General ' Post Office and Featherston-street. "''(4)' Reconsider the present concessions and report on any improvements that can be made." In movli^g his motion Councillor Cameron said that in regard to No. 1 it was practically impossible ,to [ get the returns he required. ' Consequently he proposed to withdraw the clause. A request to be allowed to withdraw Clause 1 was objected to by Councillor Barber, who* seconded the motion. The Mayor suggested that the whole of the notices of motion scheduled should ,be considered ' at a special meeting. It was not satisfactory, he said, to have such questions discussed at the fag end of a meeting. Councillor Cameron desired to go on, and the discussion proceeded. Councillor 1 Barber declared that the number of passengers' carried on the trams- for the holiday season of this year was less than it was for the same period of last year. It tended to show that the prosperity of Wellington was on the-de-cline. Mi 1 . Fitzgerald ■ moved : "That consideration ot the question be postponed till 'a future meeting of the council." The hour was Very late and he was totally against liUe sittings. There was sufficient business on the order paper for a splcial meeting. Councilor Frost seconded the amendment. ' Councillor Tregear, supported. The Mayor : If the adjournment ' is carried I propose to -answer 'the statement. The motion to adjourn was carried by 9 votes to 4. The Mayor: I desire to say to the t press-—— ' . ' Councillor Cameron : I rise' to a point qf order. « r The council has adjourned. - ' The 'Mayor: I understand that. lam speaking to the press. You must under- 1 stand that in thd • period under notice a great number of tramway concession tickets were issued. The authorities could not tell when these tickets were d^d, and the comparison, therefore was "not a proper one. He declined to take tip the -policy of crying,. '.'stinking fish,'? and declared that the dty showed very strong^evidences of increased trade and business advancement. , LINE WANTED TO ROSENEATrI VIA HATAITAI A deputation from the Roseneath Ratepayers' Association waited on the City Council last evening, --with a request for tramway extension in that area. Mr. A. Leigh ' Hunt urged that a tramway should be constructed to Waipapafoad, via Grafton-road. At the present time the latter would have to be widened sooner or later. The deputation believed that the line, if constructed, would be a payable branch of the system. In Hataitai at present the tramway system simply fringed the area between Hataiiai and Roseneath. ' Mr. H. N. Liardet said he understood that the landowners on the proposed route were willing to dedicate the necessary land for the widening of the road for a tramway. _ The majority of the residents in the district were workers. The Mayor, said that the representations would receive the serious consideration of the council. It was pleasing^to hear the suggestion of Mr. Hunt that the landowners were willing to assist' in 1 the project. He hoped .that the financial position Would 6horuy.be so relieved that some of these necssary tramway extensions could be, carried out. PROPOSED EXTENSION OF SEATOUN LINE At last eight's meeting of the Miramar Borough Council; Councillor Telford moved : "That the council oon&ider the advisablenese of extending the Seatoun tramway along the foreshore to Awaroad.ia lieu of subsidising the ferry ser- | vice, and that an estimate of the cost .of such extension be prepared." The mover stated that the road on which the proposed tramway line wa* to ' be placed was quite wide enough for the purpose. Ho was aware that nothing definite would be. done at present, as there were .many preliminaries to arrange. He suggested that an hour's service could b©i run to the proposed terminus, or every alternate car from the city could branch off instead, of ioiltinuing to the pTesent terminus, people from Karaka Bay would benefit to a. great extent by the line, ac the walk to the terminua would be only about five minutes, fie requested that the newly-ap«, pointed Borough Engineer, ' Mr. Fox, Bhould I)ring down a Teporfc on the estimated cost of the ground work, etc. In seconding the motion, Councillor Bell said it wa« very problematical as to whether an extra, fare should be charged. on the line. It would be used a j great deal on holidays, and would there- ! Sr prove very beneficial to the borough, c was also in favour of a, report being drawn, up. Councillor Smith thought ft advisable to include the question of a motor 'bus j service in the motion, ' ' ■ A suggestion was made by Councillor Stone to the effect that the question 'of tunnelling through the hill at North Miramar might be,«onsidered at the same time, ' and that an estimated cost and I full particulars be procured. A committee waa previously set vp 1 , to discuss matters in connection with the various methods- of transit to the city, and now that 4he work of this committee had been' conadftrably augmented, it was deemed necessary to appoint- another councillor on the committee. Councillor Telford v/um elected to the position. After further* diectiftsion the motion wws carried, together with the amendment* regarding the qtttetions of the motor 'bus serace, tunnel through the bill/ a^d MOM teifcMlJ&t " " i