ANDERSON BAY TRAMWAY.

Evening Star, Issue 12068, 14 December 1903, Page 8

ANDERSON BAY TRAMWAY.

THE RIVAL ROUTES.

A HITCH IN THE NEGOTIATIONS.

THE CEMETERY TRUSTEES REFUSE TO RESIGN.

A LIVELY MEETING.'

At the Sunday School Hall, Anderson Bay, on Saturday evening, a meeting of residents was convened for the purpose of considering matters connected with the proposed extension of the electric tramway system to the Bay. The attendance numbered about 100 persons, and Mr John White was voted to the chair.

The Chairman said that the meeting had been convened at the request of a large number of residents of the district, who, he understood, wished to discuss the question of the route of the proposed electric tramway from the Queen’s Drive corner to Anderson Bay. Personally, he thought a meeting was unnecessary, as he took it that the route had been decided from the beginning.—(“No!” and applause.) The rca Kou for calling the meeting was that it had been stated that the Anderson Bay people dkl not care which way the trams went, so tljat they reached the Bay; and it Uad also been stated that the route had not been decided upon. In regard to the first statement, the expression of opinion that went forth from the meeting that night would show whether it had any foundation, and in regard to the latter—that the rou-.e had not been decided upon—he would pin a short statement of the facts before them, and if anyone present had any doubt before, he was sure they would have none after Le had finished. The first- step that had been taken was to wait on the City Tramways Committee as a deputation, when the proposal of the Peninsula Road Board to grant i free right over the roadway for forty-two years if a tramway was constructed was submitted.

Mr M‘Curdy: I would like to correct the chairman. The term “ forty-two years ” was not used; the words were “free use of the road.”

The Chairman : The term forty-two veins was distinctly stated. The Tramways Committee obtained a report from their electrical engineer, and the cost and figures submitted and afterwards approved were based on the mute along the main road, and no other. As an incentive to the City Council to con-.-'tiuct the tramway, the Cemetery Trustees offered to resign their trusteeship' and band over the Anderson Bay Cemetery to the City. That proposal had been called White s bribe ’’ bv one of the city coun-cillors—(laughter)—-but as the City wanted a. cemetery and the Bay people wanted a tramway, he thought it was a fair exchange, and it had the advantage of enabling the Council to put a quid pro quo before the City ratepayers as a. justification for tin. construction of the tramway. He (Mr White) had been authorised bv the trustees to make that bargain, and bo did so. When the question was before the Tramwavs Committee he was asked what land would be available for settlement and building purposes if the line were constructed, and in order to supply that information he had personally interviewed every owner of land from the Queen s Drive to the Bav. and the list he drew up showed that 600 acres would be available. Wheu before the Tramways Committee he stated that there was onlv one possible route this tramway could take, and that was along the Anderson Bay main road, and he had been assured bv the City Council that the Tramways Committee would only consider that route. He was asked to put the offer in black and white, and he wrote a letter, in which it was stipulate d that the line must go along the main road, and the Mayor of Dunedin approved and signed that condition, and forwarded it to Wellington. All the information collected as well as the correspondence had bee seat to the Colonial Secretary at Welling, ton by the City authorities.* and he Id since been informed that the Lands Departaunt had agreed to the conditions forwarded and to the recommendation of tin i.a(,y Council that they should be compiled with. Throughout his dealings with the Chy Council he (Mr White) had two d>/ecta before him. The first was to bring ihe electric tramway to Anderson Bav, and the second to bring it along the Anderson ln:i lu road. There had been onlv one olur and one set of conditions submitted to the City Council, and that offer and conditions were accepted. He was nmr informed, but did not know if it was correct, that the. Mayor of Dunedin bad since stated that no‘route had been deemed upon. If that was the case, the mayor must have a most extraordinary and c..most unreliable memory. The mayor had appended his signature to the conditions, and had acred to them, and the condition Hwt the lino should go along the main road te* Bay was inducted in those conditions. Ho quoted the following paragraph in the agreement with the Council to enow that what he had stated- was correct i The City Council propose to carry their electric tram service to the boundary of tie Anderson Bay district, and have been invited to continue the service to Anderson Bay, following the main road, and. as an inducement to carry out this extension, the Anderson Bay residents offer to transfer the control of the Anderson Bav Cemetery to the City ,Council, provided the Council'will undertake to further extend the electric tram service to Anderson Bay.” Prom what he (Mr White) had stated, it would be seen that tne statement that no route had been decided upon nad no foundation in fact. The matter was now before the meeting, and it was for the meeting, by resolution or otherwise, to deal with if. He invited the freest discussion, and it was open to anyone to say what he pleased ; nut lie hoped there would he no warmth. If it could be shown that it was for the best interests of the district that the line saould proceed through Musselburgh and round the land towards Tahuna Park, then let the meeting say so: but if the meeting thought the route submitted and agreed upon was the better of the two. let there be ao uncertainty in saying so.—(Applause.) One of the cemetery trustees, whose name ■md net transpire, here rose and said that **, lhc J** 6 meeting of the trustees they had agreed to hand over the cemetery on condition that the line was made over the road.

Mr F. Oakden stepped forward and wished to reply to the remarks of the chairman, bat was ruled out of order. a*s there was no motion before the meeting. Mr J. MacGregor said he was prepared ro move a motion, and that he was responsible for calling the meeting. He was much mistaken if the people of the district were indifferent as to which way the tram line went so long as it reached the Bay. About twelve months ago a meeting was held in that hall with the view of getting an electric tram to the Bay. He opposed the proposal at that time,'because the line was proposed to go through land which on both rides was in the hands of one or two private individuals, and at the same time he agreed to hand over the cemetery to the City Corporation, who were then, as now. in want of a burial ground. But the conditions had now altered, and a bargain had been made by which the City were to get the cemetery, and a tram line wag to go along a route that would open up a la-rue quantity of land for residential purposes. He had been amazed to hear from Mr White that that bargain was proposed to be departed from, and that the Mayor of Dunedin had made such a statement as that attributed to him—viz., that the question of route had still to be decided. They had documentary and other proof that a bargain had been made on the basis of a certain route being followed, and he could not understand how the mayor could have forgotten what he had put his hand to. The matter had reached such a stage now that it must be settled before the cemetery trustees were allowed to take one step further.

(Applause.) Why had the present difficulty arisen ? No doubt they had their own opinions on that from what they had seen in the newspapers. They* had seen that the Peninsula Road Board, who first moved in the matter, had changed front on the question of route, and had passed a resolution leaving the selection of route with the City Council. Who drafted and prepared that resolution? Were the. same influences at work on the Road Board that were at work elsewhere to have the v.r.e altered? What was the change of rouv. and why was it advocated? It was mmproposed, after a bargain had been agn-fd to, that the tramway should be taken liv a roundabout deviation through certain land that hid lately been acquired by a cerium private company. There was not a mun in that hall or in the district, unless he was interested in the company he referred to, wiio'would say that the'change of route was advocated' in the public interest. It '■ as purely in the interest of the land syndicate he had referred to that the change of route was being nrged, and he defied anyone connected with that syndicate to stand up and say that himself or his company would not be benefited if the route were altered as suggested. The influences tiMt had been at wort in the Road Board in this matter were probably ■n. work in the St. Kilda Council and the Jnnedin City Corporation.—(Hear, hear, and applause.) He had seen a. report in the Dunedin ‘Evening Star’ of an interview that had taken place with Mr Oakden. who was connected with the land syndicate, and he had no hesitanev in saving that the reasons advanced for the change of route in that interview were an any intelligent community. Mr v .i.\den told them there was an awkward turn at Tolmie’s corner and a heavy gradient which would make the cost of construction and running die trams heavy. Apparently the City Council's electrical engineer had not seen the steep grade and sharp turn at Tolmie’s, and ho saw no such difficulties when he reported upon the matter to the Council. The turn at, Tolmie’s was. no doubt, a. very awkward one for Mr Oakden and his company in more senses than one.—(Laughter.) He told the interviewer the grade was of very considerable height, but the fact was it was no steeper than the grade from the Bank of New Zealand to Braithwaite's.—(Voices : “Not so ■j™ : P- v ) The next, reason advanced by Mr Oakden for the change of route was an impudent one. It was this r that the land on left side of the road after passing was never likely to be closely settled. That was equivalent to saying" that .•'.ncl which was the pick of the estate was not to be compared with the swamp that this company had acquired.—(Applause.) He thought he was perfectly justified in characterising such a statement as that us a piece of impudence. Mr Oakden; Thank vou.

Mr MacGregor: You are quite welcome. You will get more than that. They then had a- statement that the deviation"would pass through a. populated district.—-(Laugh-ter). He asked: Where was the population? Did anyone know of any? Another argument used by Mr Oakden was that if the deviation was adopted the trams would pass close to the site of the Musselburgh School—(laughter)—and he might have added it would give easy access to 100 acres of land owned by his company. Mr Oakden ; Only acres. Mr MacGregor: ‘Well, that is what is owned by the company, but there are 100 acres altogether, I understand. The effect of i his deviation would do that every time Anuersou Bay residents went to or came the City they would he taken round be lahuna Park. And for what purpose? V\ r.s it for the benefit of the Anderson Bay district? No. it was not. The main object of the proposal was to enhance the valne of the laud that bad been acquired bv die syndicate, and ho was sure Mr Oakden would not deny it. Mr F. Oakden : No, lie will not.

Mr MacGregor: Air Oakd-m told the interviewer that the terminal traffic was not sufficient to justify the construction of a tramway, and the only hope nf the tramway paying was to got traffic en route, Uo (Air MacGregor) set against that state■nent the fact that the proposed deviation -.v&; unsettled, and the Alain road route was already well settled. Air Oakden also told them ju effect that the greater length via ri-c deviation would take no longer to travel than the shorter mute by the Alain road, and that this arose from the circumstance that in the one case an electric car would have to crawl up a grade, and in the other it would not have to do so. Ho was surprised that a man of judgment had published such a statement ns that, in a public newspaper. But even if all the abjections raised by Air Oakden were correct, they did nob concern them in the least. The* City Council had entered into a bargain with them, and it was for them to carry out that bargain. It was not a desirable thing that a public body should enter into a bargain and not keep it,—(Applause.) He would move— 1 “ As it appears that strenuous efforts are being made by intorosiel parties to secure a diversion nf the route of the proposed Anderson Bay extension of the Dunedin tramway service from the Alain road, so as to take it through certain land recently acquired by a company for speculative purposes, and to make it appear that the residents of this district are indifferent as to the route, this meeting resolve and declare; (1) That in their opinion the only proper route for the tramway extension, not only from the point of view of the resident? of the district, but in the interests of the ratepayers of Dunedin, is that along the Alain road. (2) That the stiplatipn as to the route being that along the Alain road is an essential term of the arrangement with the Dunedin Corporation for the transfer to it of the control of the Anderson Bay Cemetery. (3) That it be

an instruction to the trustees of the cemetery that they shall insist upon this stipulation as a condition precedent to their resignation noth a view to transferring the control. (4) That copies of this resolution be sent to the trustees and to the Colonial >ec.retary and the Peninsula Hoad Board, (fi) That a committee be appointed for the purpose of watching the interests of the district, and that the following be the members of the Committee Messrs Hobert Lee, L. 0. Beal, C. S. Owen, A. B. Johnston, W. Emery, J. G. L. Hewitt. W. 6. North. D. M'Curdy, and John MacGregor.” The line along the Main road would tap the whole district just the same as the other route proposed, while the suggested deviation would cost a great deal more than that along the Main road. Some of those present would have some idea of what it would cost to make a- tramway along the swamp included in the, deviation. Tliat was a matter for the consideration of the City Corporation and the City ratepayers, who would have to pay the extra cost.'' He was sure the cemetery trustees would not dare to resign unless the bargain were carried out.

The Chairman; You can take it from me, end you may accept it as official, that they are not going io do so. unless the conditions agreed to are carried out.

Mr MacGregor; I am pleased to hear that. If we cannot block this nefarious scheme any other way we can block it through the Colonial Secretary. The motion was seconded by Mr Robert Lee.

Mr F. Oakden said he proposed to let in some sidelights as to the reasons why the suggested deviation was being opposed! He was sorry that in the discussion of this matter some personalities had been introduced, and that Mr MacGregor had used the term “ impudent ” when referring to ham. He thought public matters of this nature could he dealt with on their merits without having recourse to personalities When life went into the district Lis first effort was to subdivide the land, and he acquired a block o' ten acres and sold it at one-half the current prices then ruling, and still made a profit. Now, the first thing he wished to say was that he freely and candidl" admitted that he was personally interested and concerned in the land referred to by Mr MacGregor, and he further freely and candidly admitted that it v onld be to the advantage of the company with which he was connected if the tramwav passed through that land. But he would also IQce to say this: Some five years aim. when he was a member of the firm of Oakden and Begg, his firm had recommended to a private syndicate that the suggested tramway should be taken through the same land, aud they had: done so because they believed it would be the best route. In reply to what bad been said by the chairman. (Mr J,- WteiasL Jao vrald-fint-of all

call attention to the statement that Mr Goodman had reported in favor of one route and no other. That wax not a fair statement, and he read Mr Goodman’s opinion to show that lie had only given consideration ti one route—the main road one—and he had referred to nn alternative route as one that would require investigation. Another enur was that the proposed deviation would go lound the bluff, whereas it was proposed to go through it, and the land company would have to form that road Mr MacGregor, apparently, had' no idea ot what, a grade meant to a tramway. The grade meant increased traction power. Possibly n would be news to Mr MacGregor to learn that a 5 per cent, grade meant MO per cent, more electrical power than to run on the level. To make a tram, vuy pay they must have population, and in order to induce population they must have cheap land. They had had a fern’ semce,and they had had a railway to the Bay. What had become of them? Some of those present recollected those experiences to their cost, t here was not the traffic to warrant the continuance of lbes-3 services ■ and they could rest assured tliat the men on the City Council were business men, and that they would not run empty cars. The matter nad to be viewed in a business light; and there was no man who would advocate touching merely the fringe of population with a tramway service instead of going through it. What he suggested to them was: Dot the City Council and their engineer settle the route—let them have a free hand in the matter. It might be the case tliat- some of them did not want a tramway at all.— (“ No.”) Well, in that case, he cautioned them not to be led astray. They had the same difficulties in the way let-day that they had twenty years ago. They had not population, and without population they could not have a frequent service. A few old identities in the early davs—the Cullens, Somervilles, and Beggs—bad gob the land for a mere song, and they would not- cut it np for residential purposes unless at fancy prices. The dearness of land and the closeness with which it was held had kept bade population in the past, and until there was some change in that respect they could not hope for progress. The proposed deviation, oa the other hand, would take the line through land that was open for immediate sale at a fair profit only. For the benefit of the settlers, and in the interests of the roadway. the trams should he kept off the main road if possible. The settlers’ horses were not accustomed to the electric trams, and there was always the danger of accident.— (A Voice; “What ’about the same horses when they meet the trams further along?”) Well, the conditions were not the same as at. the point near which it was proposed to take the deviation. As to the statement that the trustees of the cemetery authorised Mr White to make it a condition tluit the line must go along the Main road, he had been told that the trustees had nut considered the .matter of route and had not arrived at a decision.

The Chairman: Whoever told you that misled you. Mr T. Btgg : I told him. Mr P. Oakden: The land that the, company have acquired has been referred to as a swamp. In reply to that, I may stale that it is 20in above the level of Mus'-v’-bnrgh. That was all be wished to say, beyond again expressing regret that Mr" MacGregor had referred to him in the personal manner he had done. During the whole time he had been in the colony he had never written a letter to the newspapers that be hud not signed his name to.—(Applause.) Mr T. Begg, one of the Cemetery Trustees. understood the arrangement to he Ilia: they wanted the tramway, and the route u:us to be left to the good sensa of the Cite Council and their engineer Mr White bod stated that it was made a condition of banding over the cemetery that tin- tram route should go along the Main road, but so far as lie was concerned be would have handed over the cemetery without anv condition at all He had communicated with the mayor, and tie mayor had raid the question of route would come up for consideration later cn, and oue of the city councillors had informed him that if the Anderson Bay people dictated to them they would have to wait fur their tramways. The proposed deviation, he was informed, would not occupv morc than two minutes longer than the. Main ro'A-i route. If the Council could sec xlm they were going to make more by the deviation than by the Main rood, let them please themselves. He did not care twopence which way they made the trams.

Air R. B-e asked if the deviation took in Tahuna Park?

The Chairman ; N'<>, it would nol go near Tahuna. Park. It wou l d take 30 per oen*. more to construer the line by the deviation. It the. Council bad plenty capital, that 50 per cent, could he more profitably expended by the extension of the line from the proposed terniLmd towards land on the Peninsula- better suited for residential sites and better for the health nf the people llian the low-lying flat land that had been referred to.

Air T. Somerville, as one of the cemetery trustees, said it was one nf the. primary conditions agreed to by the trustees that the route should be along the Alain road, and he would not resign his position as a trustee unless the City Council carried out their contract. , Air D. APCnrdy: The resolution of the Peninsula. Road Board was that. the. CityCouncil and their engineer be given a free hand as regards route.

Mr MacGregor: Who drew up the resolution? Mr D. M'Curdy : Tdo not know. I altered it. and it was adopted by a vote of o to 2. I do not care two straws which way the mute is, to that we get the tramway.

Mr C. S. Owen ; We have Mr White's word for it that what took place between himself and the Council was placed before the cemetery trustees, and that it was minuted and approved. That is stronger evidence than the recollection of Mr Bcgg. It is a monstrous thing to hear the chairman. of the Hoad Board—a public bodysay that the Board would not place any difficulty in the way of the Council carrying oat their contract. If the Council said “If you do not take what we offer you will get nothing” let. them do so; but I do not think it is a proper position for a public body to take up to repudiate their contracts. As a ratepayer of Dunedin, I object to the construction of the tramway, as it will not pay for many years to come, and the same may be said "of other lines that are. being constructed. Mr F. Oakden; Mr Owen admits that he does not want the tramway. ’Tliat justifies what I said—-that there axe some in the district- who do not want it; that there is a suhth move behind it all.

Mr W. S. Fitzgerald; We have to consider bow long it will take to make the roads and cut the ditches on the land on the deviation. There is considerable difference between that low-lying, flat land and the sunny, high slopes on the Bay road. Mr L. O. Beal said it would cost at least £2,000 extra to construct the deviation, it would take longer to construct, and the cost of upkeep would be greater. From an engineering and population point of view he thought the Main road was the best route for the tram to take.

Mr Hewitt : There are seventeen families on the Main road at the present time, and he did not think there was any likelihood of the swamp, as it had been called, being populated for a considerable time to come? He was not an engineer, but it itself to him that if it took a little°extra power to take a tram up a grade, it would take less to bring it down again. In Auckland the electric trams went np steep grades with as much ease as a flv climbed up a wall.—(Laughter.) Mr M. Begg proposed and Mr Wilson seconded an amendment—“ That the question of route be left entirely to the Dunedin City Council and their engineer.” Mr T. Begg said if they carried the motion it meant blocking the trams. After some further discussion, Mr J. MacGregor replied on the lines of his opening remarks. The Chairman said be wished it to be perfectly understood and published in the Press that the trustees were unanimous in their approval of the condition as to the route.

Mr T Begg: Did I not ask yon bow you got on after your interview with the Council, and did I not, when yon told me vou bail made it a condition that the line was

to be along the Main road, say: “ I think you made a mistake there”?

Mr White: .You may have done so, but I have no recollection of it. You understood as well as everyone else that it was to be along the Main road. The cemetery trustees having made a bargain, they will stick to it.

On the amendment being put to the meeting, only five hands were held up in its favor—viz., Messrs Oakden, M. Begg, J. T. Wilson, T. Begg, and another—and the rest of the meeting voted against it; and on the motion being put. it was carried, only five voting against it. The meeting concluded at 10.25 p.m. with a vote of thanks to the chairman for the interest he had taken in the matter.