ROUTE TO EXHIBITION

Evening Star, Issue 18807, 4 December 1924, Page 10

ROUTE TO EXHIBITION

BUSES OR TRAMWAY? DISCUSSION BY CITY COUNCIL. When the report of the Tramways Committee was before the meeting of the City Council last night, Cr Sincock gave notice to move at the next meeting of the council that the resolution of some weeks ago in respect to the bare Logan tramway ho rescinded. The Mayor (Mr IT. L. Taploy) said that a. notice of motion changing the route was in order, but the details as regards the route were already before- the Government in connection with the Order in Council. ... x, Cr Sincock said his idea was that the tram should go down Albany street from George street, Or Hancock asked if the committee had taken into consideration how the public were going to be taken from the old Post Office "at the Exhibition time. There were going to be a thousand and one other conveyances on the highway. The. Mayor said .he fe.lt somewhat alarmed over the whole position, more especially in view of what had happened in Auckland, The motor bus had proved a menace to the Auckland tramways, and the competition had been so keen that the Auckland City Council had_!iad to reduce its trnmwav service and dispon.se with a harm number of men. They did not want that to happen hero, and they should grapple with the position at once. They had ordered four buses, hut in Ins opinion they should order twenty at once. Even if most, of them were kept m the sheds, they should he held in readiness to face competition which might conic along Therefore hr welcomed fhc ( notice of motion. The proposed tramway would not eater for the Exhibition traflic. P they did not eater for such Irallic, then private enterprise would. Cr Taverner said this was an unworthy example, of the council not knowing it.s own mind. The Tramways Committee thought, that with the buses the hue along Castle street and Frederick street, would be ample to serve the southern portion of the citv. , Tim'Mayor said that it they saw tbo\ were making a blonder they would lie wanting in their doty In the ratepayers it ihev did not ehange their minds. (ir T’Aerner wind on to say that, no one could be blamed for changing bis mind, but. this eleventh-hour recantation was not justified. He did not. think the buses could deal with (ho traffic unless they secured a verv large number. Cr MacMamis said lie thought the committee should change its mind, Die fait that the highway proposal was earned placed a different aspect, on the whole question, and gave them the opportunity of Irving out motor buses there. Cr Wilson said he deprecated notices of motion after the thing had been decided. In that way they would never get any progress, lie would he m favor of buy ■ ing ten or twenty buses, hut he still thought the tramline was needed. Cr shid (hut whatever llt(' romuii decided to do they should got, on v.ith (lie work as soon as possible. Cr Shaddock said the Order in Council was on its way through, and when it became operative they could lay tlicii mils only in a definite place. 'Jhc department’s exports had all recommended either Union nr Frederick street. The department was too dilatory in ordering buses. Cr Douglas said he was informed that the Order in Council was practically through. He hoped that the. councillor who had given notice of motion, and those who supported it, understood that if it were earned there would be no line to the Exhibition. The speaker went on to refer to street-corner talk regarding the matter, and he hoped councillors would not take much notice of it. Cr Halliday rose to say he objected to a statement of that kind. He had not listened to street-corner talk, Cr Sincock said he had not questioned the Order in Council: he had only questioned the route. He had mot been guilty of talking around street comers on anything of that sort. (Loud laughter.) Cr .Douglas proceeded to state that the committee was watching the motor bus traffic. The committee was satisfied that while they had the penny tare they need not fear bus competition. ihc council was only permitted to spend £IB.OOO for buses out, of the loan. 'Die other portion of the loan was allocated for other works. If the engineer recommended the purchase of more motor buses the committee would report on the matter, the Anekhit d City Council was Inlying more tranirars and arranging hnse- as feeders, ’the report from Auckland had come to him that day. It would theretoro appear that there was a lot of hot air about that night. V\ilh their cheap electric power there was no doubt their tramway system was the better system. The Mayor said in view of the information ho had obtained of the position at Auckland he could not understand how they were securing more tramcars. Cr Douglas said "they were paying high tram faros in Auckland. Mr Alexander was getting ready now for carrying out the route adopted—from Castle street down Frederick street. The report of the committee was adopted