GISBORNE’S TRAMWAYS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 4816, 13 March 1918, Page 6

GISBORNE’S TRAMWAYS.

NO FURTHER EXTENSIONS. PRESENT STOCK OF RASLS TO BE SOLD. MOTOR ’BUS SERVICE SUGGESTED. LAST NIGHT’S DEBATE. After many yea/s of controversy regarding the present battery tram system, a climax'' was reached last evening at the Borough Council table when the Mayor moved, in accordance with notice of motion “That i>li’e present 651bs tramway rails' in stock be sold and that no further extensions be made on Jibe - ' present system.” _ ' His Worship, in moving the motion, -said he wanted the Council, once and for all, to establish a system. There had been a lot of talk about the storage battery ears, but as yet no system had been accepted. It had not been a success. The first two cars did not give satisfaction, and were a source of expense to the Council.' The weak part of No. 3 car was that the manufacturers would not guarantee the batteries. If a man made a good article—as the manufacturers claimed the batteries to be—he ought to be able to give a guarantee. Then the car had never run up to its maker’s claims as to, speed. This had been 20 miles per hour, and the car test had been 18 miles. He said the Council would never have a better oppoi'tunity ot selling the rails. He understood that they were not a stock size, and after the war there might be some difficulty in disposing of them. A MOTOR ’BUS SERVICE.

C'r. Ball seconded the motion. He did not think the time was opportune to change the system. He thought it would be better to establish a motor ’bus service. They could procure two ’buses for the price of a new car. Then instead of the track they could lay down a concrete road. If sanction were obtained, the Council could procure enough motor ’buses to start services to Kaiti and Manga papa. To go in for an overhead system would require a big loan. The Council required a policy for its trams. It had a new car on order, and when that arrived the Council could use the present track to its utmost in conjunction with its ’bus service.

Cr. Moil at quoted from a previous legal opinion in which it was stated that no change could be made in the present system and route unless sanctioned by the ratepayers. He held that the Mayor should get legal opinion before proceeding, Cr. Oman said the cars had never given satisfaction, and he did not think that a storage battery car would draw a load up the rise in •Ormond Road. He did not think the present time was opportune for going in for an overhead system. He favored a motor ’bus system. The Council could lay down concrete tracks in the centre of the roads for the ’bus, this to be used as a basis for concrete, roads. An advantage with ’buses was their mobility; they could be diverted to the most payable sources of revenue. He supported selling the rails; they were going rusty. Cr Kill: So is flic Council—(laughCr. Hill said he thought it would be a criminal action on the part- °f the Council if it departed in any way from the scheme laid down and sanctioned by the ratepayers, thousands of pounds had been spent in laying down the track, even though . there"was a certain amount of speculation in it. Each car received was better. He thought the Council would be doing the wrong thing if it did not go on with the service. He would favor a scheme which would utilise the present system. He said if the Council went seriously into the matter it could have the system in working order. The Councillors had only themselves to blame for the position, and he declared that if they carried the motion they ought to resign and face the ratepayers, when he thought they would get a rough time. PLEA FOR PRESENT SYSTEM. Cr. Munns said that the Mayor was unfair in raising the question of overhead versus storage. To go into the overhead service would kill the system. „. . The Mayor: We will not go m for an overhead system. 1 have not seen the Order-in-Council until now. Cr. Munns said the Mayor had promised extensions in his report, but they had not materialised. He said the Council had £22,000 in the bank on which it was paying of per cent, interest and was only receiving 3' per cent. He believed the system would have been payable had it been extended as desired. There were seven miles of rails in the yards rusting away. He was not in love with the system, blit now that they had it they would have to make the best of it.’ The first two cars were not what they were led to believe, but there was no fault to find with No. 3 car. The onus for the failure of the system lay upon the Council. They should have extended the system to where it would have paid one or two energetic Councillors had . tried to do. He was sure that if tile figures were obtainable, it would lie shown that No. 3 car had been paying for itself. The system bad n<|t been given a proper test with up t<fr date cars. g Cr. Waucbop said he was not eng amoured with the system. He tool! it that they' were in a similar posi-1 tion ‘ to a manager running al business. If in private busi-’ ness a piece of machinery had been installed which had proved a failure it would be put aside and a piece of machinery which had proved to be a success would be installed. Mr Lysnar had said that the system had been running successfully in certain towns in America, but no names had been given. Cr Munns: Can you name a town in America where they are not running? Cr Wauchop, continuing, said that it would be better for the rails to rust in the yard rather than extend the present system, which had proved to be a failure. AN EXTENSION PROPOSED. Cr Miller moved an amendment that the Engineer he asked to prepare estimates and plans for an extension of the present system from Fitzherbert Street to the town boundary at Ormond Road. The new car and the care to come should be given a good l test to prove the system, he said. There had been no comparison given as to the cost per car on the overhead system and the storage battery car system. He was sure the storage battery system would me cheaper. Tic took no blame for the supposed delay in the extension or the system, and His Worship had done all he could to push on the extension. The Council had no metal for the track. Ht was a matter of impossibility to extend at. the present time. There were no sleepers nor materials available. Cr Munns: A man could get some sleepers if be came to the Council. There are plenty here- . Cr Mount seconded the amend' ment. He said there was little difference in running the storage battery car and the overhead system. the reason why the' system had never paid was because the Council had not had sufficient push to extend. cars had been run to death. No 3 car was now being overloaded. -To ask the Council to sell the rails was.

not the right thing; the Council should go to the ratepayers and aslv them to rescind their previous decis--10 Cr Tucker supported the Mayor’s matron. It was a case, lie said' of “save me from my friends. Dan the tramway money been spent it would have been lost. He advocated calling a halt at present; waiting till after the war and seeing which system was the best and he thought the ratepayers would vote for the ovciliead system.' This system delivered the goods and that was what the storage battery could not do. In answer to Cr. Oman, the Mayor said that under the existing- Order-in-Council, the Borough could go in for aiiv other system but the overhead system. Cr Wall chop: Can we put on horse trams? —Laughter. MOTION CARRIED.

Tlie amendment, on being put, was lost by five- to four. If he. motion -was carried, tlie voting being for (o) —Crs Tucker. Oman, Ball, Waucliop and the Mayor. ' .... Against —Crs Miller, Munns, HHI and MountOr Miller moved that the- Borough solicitor's opinion be taken upon the legality of the proposal to sell the rails.—Carried., , , Cr Munns intimated that ne would probably 'give notice 0 f motion to rescind the resolution. THE FINANCIAL POSITION. The following statement with regard to the indebtedness of the tramways was laid upon the tabic at the request of tlie Mayor:— Total indebtedness —first loan £25,875 second £30,000, third (Waimata bridge) £lO6l. Total £56,936. Credit balance in hand February 26, 1918, £21,809.

Total deficiency £8350 Tlie total annual charge for interest and sinking fund after the loan is expended will be £2936. In the above figures depreciation has not been taken into account.

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