KAIKORAI TRAMWAY.

Evening Star, Issue 18851, 28 January 1925, Page 5

KAIKORAI TRAMWAY.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —In your leader of tho 26th inst. vou liavo -called attention to tho insecurity of llio teniro of tho Kaikorai Tram Company. Surely you -do not suggest that tho Citv Council means to seize the company s plant at tho termination of its leaso at any valuation tho council likes to put on it/' I thought tho days of these sharp practices were gone in Kew Zealand, and it is lordly likely that the City Council would try to emulate the sharks of tho past. That the Kaikorai Tram Company has served tho householders of Koslyn and Kaikorai well is indicated by the business tho company does, and it might not be generally known, that it lias not increased the Sunday fares, as the corporation has done. T-ho service has been maintained continuously, with none of those harassing stops that have characterised tho other cable trams ever since tho council took control of them. Tho courtesy of the officials is quite equal to that of tho other services. .Now that this energetic company wishes to improve its service, the council wishes to harass _ it, probably because tho council owns a rival service which is quite incompetent to deal with the traffic, and of which tho council can hardly feel very proud; indeed, if tho council did not oun the service itself it is very doubtful if it would bo allowed to run as it is. When tho Kaikorai Company was formed it naturally met with opposition from tho rival company. Iho chairman of tho Boslyn Tram Company was Mayor of Dunedin at the time. What the council thinks it is-going to loso by granting the Kaikorai Company a_ recurring lease puzzles mo, as tho council has the right to takf over tho company’s plant at any time on giving three months’ notice, tho price to be settled by arbitration, tho council and the company to appoint a valuator each, and tho to appoint, a third valuator, th© decision of fwo valuators to bo binding on both parties. Surely nothing can bo fairer than this. How 'it is possible for the company to carry nut improvements and keep up (o date if if. has no security of tenure, nr right of valuation for its plant at, the termination of its lease, the council will probably be able to explain, hut it seems to me you have to own a. bankrupt concern before the council wishes to buy it. Hoping that the public will clearly 'indicate to the council that it has no desire In see it emulate Sliylock in its desire for its pound nf flesh—l am, etc., Portia. January 27.