ELGIN ROAD TRAM LINE

Evening Star, Issue 16514, 28 August 1917, Page 4

ELGIN ROAD TRAM LINE

COMMISSION OF INQUIRY. Mr J. R. Bartholomew, S.M., sat as a Commission this morning to report as to a piorxHsal to issue an Order in Council enabling the tram nails in Elgin road, Morningtori, to be removed and used for repairing the Maryhill line. The Commission was set up by the Governor as the result of objections raised by 'residents to the proposal of tho City Council to remove the rails. Mr G. A. Lewin (Town Clerk) represented the City Council, and Mr E. E. Nicolson the-objectors. Mr Bartholomew called on the local authority to show cause. Mr Lewin stated the position from the beginning. Iho order- providing for the, construction of a cable tramway along Elgin road was dated the 20th of June, 19U4. The tramway was to have been completed on the Ist of January, 1806, j but it did not start running until the Ist of January, 1906. Tho City Council came j into the matter in consequence of the amal- { g&matibn of tho borough of Mornington, whioh. took place on January 1, 1916. The traffic on the lino was suspended on tho 3th of October, 1807, after the tramway had been in existence for 12 months. It remained idle until December, 1307. It was again suspended on the 7th of Juiy until tho 10th of 'November, 1908, and again finally euspsnded until the 22nd of January, 1910, since which date it had been out of operation. The real reason for this was that it was unfit for a cable service. The Maryhill line was authorised in 1883, and must have been running for over 30 years. It was purchased by the Mornington Council from the old Tramway Company in 1905, together with the High street "line. After Mornington became amalgamated with tho City in 1916 the council soon becamo aware of the unsatisfactory condition of the Mary hill line. Reports from their officers showed that it was in a bad, and almost unsafe, condition, and finally, as tho result of an inspection by the' Public Works Department, the Under-Secretary wired from Wellington that it was in a dangerous condition, and that it must stop running until repairs were effected. On the receipt of that telegram tho Tramways Committee of the council met, and decided not to risk running the line any longer. They had no alternative but to close the line, and it was decided that the only way by which the Maryhill lino could be reinstated was by using the Elgin road rails, that line I having been idle for six and a-half years. | The Mayor (Mr J. J. Clark) was the first witness. He explained that, owing to the abnormal conditions due to the it was found impossible to obtain the material required to put tho Maryhill line in running order. The council did not consider the merits of the respective lines. To Mr Nicolson: It was impossible, owing to the present war conditions, to obtain a suitable vehicle for .running on the Elgin road lino. The' witness said that reports were obtained as to making the Elgin road line suitable for a rabb car. Tho alterations for the satisfactory running of a cable car were estimated to cost £10,500. Mr Nicolson: Do you think it in the public interest that the rails of a well-laid line should be lifted when after the war is over a suitable vehicle will be obtained? Witness: I have no evidence that such a vehicle will bo available after the war. Mr Bartholomew: Is road condemned as a tramway route? Witness : As a cable tramway it is, but not as a possible route for traction- of another form. The suggestion is to use a self-contained coach that would run on rails.

Mr Bartholomew : If the tram rails were actuallv in existence, would not the demand "of the' residents ba more urgent than if no rails were there? Witness: Probably it would. It is impossible to say what future councils will do, but the Elgin road residents would probably have a" better chance of getting tramwav facilities if the rails were there. The witness said that secondhand rails under offer from Melbourne for the F,lgin road line were found unsuitable. George Arthur Lewin gave evidence as to the history of the line as set iouij in his opening. Mi 1 Lewin then intimated that that was all the evidence. He might afterwards have to call rebutting evidence. Mr Nicolson said that although it might appear to be a battle of the routes, he wished to talc© a higher ground entirely. The Maxyhill people had had a line running for many years, and they all had every sympathy with them in their present circumstances. He took it that the substance of the finding was what was the public interest in regard to this matter.

Mr Lewin : Having regard to the use made of the Elgin road line? Mr Baithlomew: The publio interest with reference to the particular conditions actually existing. Mr Nicholson maintained that a tram line should never have been laid where the Maryhill line had been laid. If the Maryhill lino had carried out all its functions, then the Elgin road route would never have beon initiated in 1906, because the two line 3 were so close together. The great want expressed in the district caused the controllers of affairs in Momington to construct the Elgin road line. Unfortunately they took the line through some narrow'and circuitous streets, which made the cost of mining too great for a cable line. Mr Bartholomew: It is admitted that it is condemned as a cable line.

Mr Nicolson; Without considerable alterations. The City Council maintained that the alterations would cost £10,500. That, of course, was an engineering matter. The council had had an estimate from an engineer, but it had not been checked. A deputation had asked the council to obtain an estimate of the cost to alter the portions of .the line that caused the great expense in running, but they had obtained an estimate for a laxger scheme. The Elgin road line had been constructed in a most modern way. To uplift the rails would not only damage a well-laid line, but it was questionable if the material taken from such a solid bed would be suitable for the purpose fo;' which it was intended. He maintained that the City Council should be extremely careful .before they damaged a tram line on the accepted main thoroughfare of the borough. William Davidson said that what they wished to point out was that it would not be in the public interest to lift the rails on the Elgin road line in order to repair a line that never had paid.

Mr Lev; in: Neither of them has ever paid, nor is likely to pay. Witness, continuing, said their contention was that the Elgin road route was infinitely superior to the Maryhill route. That was not merely their opinion, hut was the opinion expressed in a departmental report of the City Council for 1917. The Elgin road route was the main inlet from the north, and the main outlet at Look-cut Point for the south. They contended, further, that the fact that the war was now entering upon its fourth year, and that they ho'ped that the end was in sight, it would he a distinct injustice to break up this solidly laid line when it was said that it could be brought into use by utilising a Thomas transmission car, which could be obtained after the war was over. They contended that it would not be a hardship for 10 Maryhill people to be debarred of their means of communication for what it was hoped would bo a short period when the Elgin road people, who were much further from the present terminus, had suffered this inconvenience for seven years. To Mr Lewin : The fact of the tramway having been suspended had not had any material effect on the increase of the school attendance. Mr Lewin : Would you be surprised to know that the Town Clerk of Mornington in 1909 wrote to the Government officials that the line was losing £I,OOO a year, without any regard to interest on the £14.000 cost of construction? Witness : iSfo, I would not be surprised, considering the engineering blunders made. In answer to Mr Bartholomew, witness said he believed that if the solidly laid line were taken up the chances of a line being laid in the near future would be Very remote indeed. Mr Bartholomew : Then the lifting of the rails would be tantamount to an abandonment of the route? Witness : Yes. Mr Bartholomew: Have the council given any assurance a* to the future position ? .

! Witness: No. Charles F. Alexander, tramways manager, was called by Mr Nicolson, who asked: " Talcing them as separate routes, where would you put a lino to serve the best interests of a growing district?" Witness :<" I would rather not answer. Mr Bartholomew: That is a matter that would involve considerable inquiry, and is also a matter of policy. Mr Nicolson: Could you tell me if a Thomas transmission car could be run on the Elgin road line? Witness : *Yes, it could be run on the line as it at present exists. Mr Lewin: If one could be got. Mr Nicolson (to witness): Would you recommend one?

Mr Bartholomew i That is hardly a fair question. George Joachim said he had lived in Mornington for 27 years. If they were only to have one line, then Elgin road was the proper one in the interests of the whole district. There was much more room for expansion and increase in settlement in that part of the borough. Herbert Webb, a resident of tho district for 38 years, said that after the Elgin road line was opened there was a considerable increase in the building of houses at the far end of the road. .-It was a. serious disappointment when the line was stopped. It was almost impossible now to sell a house in that part of Mornington. Mr Lowiti remarked that he did not know whether the Maxyhill people were looking after themselves "at the commission or not.

Mr Bartholomew said that Mr Bathgate had spoken to him about it, and intended to attend. William Henderson was called on resuming after lunch. Witness, a building contractor, said that he had been a resident of Mornington for 36 years. In Ids opinion there was a far larger area to be served along Elgin road than at Maryhill. There was far greater scope there for increased population. The trouble with the Elgin line was a sharp curve at the corner of Lawrence and Havelock streets, which caused the rope to come off the pulley. Any car could run if the sha-rp curve were done away with. Mr Lewin: You were a councillor of Mornington then. Why wero not stops taken to have what you describe a® minor defects removed? Witness: You could not do so without purchasing property. Mr Lewin: Do you know that when the two lines were running the earnings were practically the samel Witness: Very near it.

Further witnesses were waiting to be called when we went to press. It was not ex)>ected that the evidence would be eoneluded to-day.