MORNINGTON TRAMWAY.

Evening Star, Issue 11863, 17 April 1903, Page 7

MORNINGTON TRAMWAY.

At a well-attended public meeting held in the Presbyterian Hall, Mornington, last evening, Mr W. Gow, mayor of the borough, delivered an address on tramway and collateral matters. Mr Q. Fenwick was in the chair.

Mr Clow, said that the purpose of the meeting wis. chieliy, to deal with, certain misunderstandings current in regard to tramway matters. These misunderstandings were mainly due to the fact that the ratepayers were partially ignorant of what had gene on in connection with these negotiations. He wished also to refer to bis candidature for the office of mayor for the ensuing year. Some might say that if the ratepayers were ignorant on the tramway question the fault lay with the Council—(A Voice: “So It does.”) —in not making known to them what took place from time to time in process of the negotiations. He hoped that they would, when they had heard what he had to say, see that it was quite impolitic to talk of what they were doing at every street corner, and have their moves frustrated. The time for secrecy, however, was at an end; the negotiations were concluded, and he had called his hearers together in order that he might tell them all about it. He hoped, then, that they would realise not only that the tramway business had been properly conducted, but also that the Council were deserving of a great amount of credit for the way in which they had carried it through. ' In reference to his candidature, it had not been his intention to stand, because he had an idea that a mayor should be content with one year of office; but his Council—an excellent Council—(AVoice: ‘‘Old ladies.”)—approached him, and practically unanimously desired ho should accept office for another year.' That was why he was standing. H“ referred to the other candidate as his old friend Mr Annand, and said that he believed the reason that that gentleman hod been asked to stand was because it was stated that he (Mr Gow) was not going to do so. He did not wish to disparage Mr Annand. They had always worked together harmoniously, and had been unanimous upon the various matters that had come before them. Mr Annand deserved very great credit and the good wishes of eveiy member of the community, because he was an excellent councillor and a good man. He had always been his friend. Nevertheless, Mr Annand, by standing in this election, had given a direct challenge to the Council and to him (the speaker). As to tramways, a great deal had been said one way and another. The fact that they had spent a large amount of money on them had been largely commented upon. He would refer ta that later on. An intelligent body of ratepayers ought not to consider the price because that was out of the hands of the Council-(Cries of “Oh!”) The question was: Did the Council and the mayor cany on their negotiations in a proper way? Did they show care and ability in conducting them? Did they follow that course which was the proper course for a borough to follow in making a purchase of the kind’ He s-tJci thut tnoy did. .Two courses werp oppn One was to bny under valuation, as they did, or to have the opportunity of putting their own valuer on the work to estimate the value and then to make an offer. Could any one of those who carped at the method say what better plan conld have been adopted? What method would have be.en fairer or more certain to secure the interests of the borough?—(A Voice: “It is too late now.”) If the Council had accepted the company’s offer to sell for £24,500 the ratepayers would have said that no public body had a right to make a bargain without understanding what they were doing. Then seme people said if the company had been offered £20,000 they would'have accepted it. That might be; and if the sdm had been accepted it would, as things turned out, have been leas than had now been paid. But how would the Conndl have knows that .they

were getting value for their money? In a letter to the newspapers the man who did not know had commented upon what he termed the *• indecent haste ” of the Council in paying the money, but, as everyone knew, if the deed were properly drawn there was no getting out of it. They had to pay the money in order that they might get possession and reinstate as quickly as possible. Even if they'could have got out of it, would it have been honest ? They were doing all they knew cc get that line running as quickly as possible. They had been promised about three weeks ago that they would get cars in .a temporary condition in three weeks. The time was nearly.up, but the cars would not be ready for a week or so yet, the ironwork not being ready for them. ’Mr Roberts, who was in charge of the installation of a temporary service, hoped, however, that everything would be ready very shortly; certainly within a month.—(Applause.) As to promises for the future, he had not much to say, except that they intended ns soon aa they had got the temporary service running to see what arrangements could be made for a permanent plant, an improvement on anything that had been there before. They w anted gear that, would run the cars up the hill much faster than previously. What they proposed was to do away with the trailer cars altogether.—(Applause)—and run dummies at intervals of from five to ten minutes, according to the time of day. The iirst thing, however, was to get a temporary service to the top of the hill. As soon as they had the ’power, which was to come from England, they would have the extension reinstated, and thereafter they proposed to go on with the extension—first, out in the direction of Elgin road and on to where it was proposed to stop near Secular’s property, and, later on, they would cany a short leg over in the direction of Belle-knowes.-—(A Voice; “What about the money? ) Mr Gow : “Oh, there is plenty of money available.” He went on to confess ins own disappointment, when he heard the valuation placed upon the tramway, which was in excess of his own previous estimate. He had, however, set himself to find out where he had made a mistake, and with that end hi view lie had carefully examined the- - company’s books after the purchase. The result of his investigations somewhat surprised him, and he thought his hearers, too, would see that they had nut got such a bad bargain after all. He then quoted a manher of figures, showing in the ultimate result that as a matter of fact the borough had paid £18,071 for what stood in the books of the company at £19,789. it might be asked Why did they buy the line at all? To that he would answer: Because they did not want to face a ruinous competition with Stafford street for many years to come, ibis, he thought, was a course which would commend itself to any prudent body of men, and their Council were such a body. The tramway, lie wont on, had been a very much more paying concern than any ot them conceived, and the company were really very loth to part with it, but they saw what the effect of competition would be. He (Mr Gow) thought so much of the prosepets of the tramway that if they were offered £25.0(10 for it to-morrow he would refuse. He had not time to say much about general municipal affairs. There were no burning questions to be considered. Ho would like to call attention to oue thing, however. When he accepted office the bank overdraft was troublesome, as it was right up to the hilt. 'Hie Council decided that at the end of the year they would have the overdraft reduced by £SOO. and they had succeeded.—(Applause.) Regarding the loan expenditure, lie said it had occasioned a good deal of feeling in certain quarters.—(Hear, hear.) One gentleman had stated that the loan had been badly spent, but the fact was that the loan had not been spent—only half ol it had been spent. A small coterie of people opposed to him had said that the first of the loan was spent in that part ol the borough in which he lived. Well, as a matter of fact, when the schedule ol works was prepared by the Works Committee he was not a member of that Committee, and as chairman of the Committee later on he had only carried out the previous decision of ’the Committee.—(Applause.) The result was that his part of the borough ha-d got ahead of the rest of them—(A Voice: Vou have always boon that way")—but their turn was coming. After numerous questions had been put and answered, the following motion, moved by Mr E. S. Muntz and seconded by Mr Patersoip was carried That the best thanks of this meeting be extended to Mr Gow for his elaborate address. At the same time, we do not presume to give him a preference of support until the ratepayers have had an opportunity of hearing the statement of Mr Annand.”