SUGGESTED EXTENSION

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 56, 4 September 1923, Page 4

SUGGESTED EXTENSION

TRAMS FOR NORTHERN HATAITAI

DEPUTATION TO TRAMWAYS

COMMITTEE.

A deputation, Messrs. A. E. Batt and H; A. Htiggins, representing the Hataitai Ratepayers' Association':, and Messrs; H. E. Combes and C. E. Bennett,, representing the residents of -wrthijm Haiaitai, waited upon the Tramways Committee of the City Council yesterday afternoon for the purpose ..of.-bring-ing- before the committee tho de?ir<; of residents living in the nortburn part of Hataitai- for--.a, reasonable tram\yay ■ service, such as' would be given by an extension of the lines up Graf ton .road as' far as the school or thereabouts for the time being, a. distance of about five-eighths of. a mile.

Mr. Batt stressed the fact that that part of .the town' had gone"ahead :remarkably during the last few years, and in view of that,' the amount,:of building, now going on, and' also the fact that the lend- still available would no doubt be quickly -^ taken up .were better transit provided, the deputation had -felt justified in going before 7 the committee and,asking for.the extension. There was no - rtfore - closely populated^ portion of the town, not excluding Northland, so far removed from tramway service as northern Hataitai, and the members of his association fully believed- -that t the extension would be a payable proposition. ' The Hataitai Land Company had expressed itself as willing to subscribe £1000 towards the work, and, though that might be'but a drop in the possible total expenditure of £10,000 or so, it would at least miffice to pay interest for a year er eighteen months, by which time the greater population would ensure a greater direct revenue. .

A canvass made among residents bf the northern end of the suburb, said Mr. Combes, had shown that there was practically a universal demand among the people of .the district for the suggested extension. That was perfectly natural,. for Waipapa road was devoid of shelter, and, though a walk to the train. terminus in fine weather was in the:- general interests of health, a walk w wet weather was a different matter altogether, 'particularly for elderly people and for mothers with children.' There was no doubt in his mind that tho car service would be well patrori--ised by those living in the northern end, and also by those living nearer the present line in bad weather. ■ Hataitai was a young suburb, but the children were now growing up to high, school or working age^. and were entitled to transit service. The'likely cost of five-eighths of a mile, as he understood it; would be £7500, to ..which might be added £1000 for a loop about half-way up the road. •."■'•■'

Hataitai had contributed a very fair I share towards: the prosperity, of the city's tramway services, a bigger share ! probably than most other suburbs, and J it was felt that the residents were now,entitled to some consideration for their"! contributions. A petition had been in j circulation for., just over a fortnight,.' and in that time • signatures represent-" ing ,518 adults arid 180 children under the age of twelve ;years had been ob-. tamed, when,, the whsle district .had .been canvassed,'it was believed the'J 'signatures would total 1000. . . .-i

Mr.. Combes; added ,that .when...spaces'; now open were- biiilt upon the council' would receive a, greater return through rates, but thereupon-the Mayor (Mr. B.; A. Wright) expressed doubts,- since the,- : ' rates were struck upon unimproved value. Mr. Combes ■ replied that the' return from the water rate would at least be greater. • • ■

Mr. Batt recalled past applications' to! the council for the extension, and said ! that the matter had not_previously been--pressed on account of the difficult war' years and the following years of. depression, but the very rapid growth. of, the district during the last few years' had; brought the question keenly to the : forq again. It had been proposed that a. line: should run along Grafton road at somd time to connect, up Oriental Bay with Kilbirnie, and were the extension asked for constructed it would be the first section of that circular route.

■Councillor Forsyth asked Mr. Batt whether, if the council decided to try but trackless trams, "the subscription of £1000 would still be available.

The suggestion, Mr. Batt answered, had been discussed, but strong opposition, had been raised on the. ground that the necessary change from one type of car, to . another would count; against the best working of the service,, and would not ..give- the extension a fair trial. It would certainly not be an inducement to pople to -travel short distances, ''.whereas they would travel were a rthrough cor run.

/ -The; Mayor stated that the council fully recognised that the tramway proposed must be built sooner or later, but it was a question of when it should be undertaken. Mr. Combes was right when ■ he said that the past policy had been to build extensions out of revenue, and that would have to be the practice in future, since the council had been unable to get the clause authorising the' borrowing of sums foL- tramway purposes without first - going to the ratepayers through the Local Bills Committee of the House, and it was unlikely that such a, proposition as that put forward woujd. have the backing of the city generally. Already, however, the council was -committed to tw o or three undertakings to be paid for out of revenue—for instance, the Wallace-John street extension and the Sydney street line, and finance was the difficulty. He took, if for granted that the residents would not object to paying an extra penny section fare.

Mr. Batt stated that that was understood by those wb*> were asking for the tram; they would be quite willing to pay, but the council might keep in mind that the section from Courtenay place to Hataitai was one of the shortest in the ,city, and when the line was ultimately extended towards Eoseneath then a rearrangement of sections might bs made.

The representations made, stated Mr Wright, would b e fully,, considered, and an answer would be given in du e . course.