THE CITY TRAMWAYS.

Evening Star, Issue 6760, 27 November 1884, Page 1

THE CITY TRAMWAYS.

Tirr: directors of th.: Djucdin City and Sliiliutban Tnm*n<s C unpany in tbe'r a minunieaioii to the City Couacil of 20, have, wo tbiuk, made out a very good cise for oonsideration of the request they make, on behalf of the Company, for an cxtension of the concessions under the existirg agreement. years of the fourteen have already expired, and, unless some furth< r arrangement id made, the Company is the year 1801 will have to deliver np to the Corporation of Duoedin the main tramway and branch line.', the stations. lands, buildings, and phnt of evtry description belorgirg thereto or used therewith, on piyn ent of the then valno. to be detnmir.ed by arbitration. It w turii iently clear tl at with such a short term to run the C impaiiy would not be justified iu iuoarring any expense in the iuiprovinv.nt of the .service. Tne directors state p'air ly that with horie traction the income <iors not cover the expenditure, and the implication is that unlets the Company aie enabled to substitute tee ca.be system, or srim«± other which m3y combine 0.-onomy with iffi.ifncy, they will have to tusp rid cojjanions, s'noo they can hardly he expected to ciny on at a lots for the convenience of the community. We need hardly point out what a serious matter it woula be wero the Company constrained to take such a course; it wculd indeed to nothing short of a public calamity. The directois are quite correct in stating that the interests of the citizens will be advanced and conserved by the City Council granting such concessions as will enable the Company to make the undertaking more stable, the working of it more remunerative, the cost in repairs cf streets less, and the comfort, convenience, and accommodatioL of the travelling rublio greater. The directors ask that a fret-o term < f thirty years from this year be grantrd at such annual rent as iniy be arranged ; and they ittte that "were *ueh "a modification of the existing corjeestiqir "grai-ted gnat benedt will uLdeobterily " accrue to tbe public; for the Coitnpaiy •' would then as early as practicable adopt.a "system of traction preferable in a very "maiked degree to the present ryßtem, by. "whi.h greater satisfaction wculd be "afforded to the citizens and your ''Council, greater comfort and accom'•modation obtained, a means adoptel "for our taking extra traffic which "at present inevitably crowds the cart "at certain hours, the wealth of the " City increased, and the use of the streets " by other vehicles than tramcara made uore "easy." . The City Council have referred the letter' of the directors to the Tramways Committee, and we notice from the report of the Council meeting on the 17th inst that tfyjT Committee are in communication with tbe Company "with a view to ascertaining the " precise nature of the alterations and coa- : "cessions required, and other information, "necessary to enable the Committee to " make a recommendation on the subject." We may presume that the Committee will be in a position to report at the meeting on Monday next, when the qaestion wid be fully discussed. It is, of coarse, th* duty of the Council to take a thorough business view, and to act for what they may deem the best in the interests of the City. We are of opinion, as stated above, that the directors have made out a very strong case, and that the benefits of extending the concession would be very material to the community at large. A good, well-equipped tramway service, ably conducted, will not only greatly add to the comfort-and convenience of the people resident in and about; Du tied in, but will favorably affect the character of the City and the value of town, and suburban property. The directors make a strong point in quoting the terms of tramway concessions in other places. In San Francisco the concession is for a' term of fifty years, with a moderate rental by way of a license for each car; in Mel*' bourne, thirty years; in Christohurcb, twenty one years, free of rent; and lit Auckland, twenty-one year*, with first seven years, free; second seven JW?, £2OO a year; and third seven years, £ 390 a year. The Dunedih Company pay the City Council £SGO a year, and expend on an average about £2 500 a year on maintenance of the road way Bof their several lines. ■ |