The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED DAILY. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 1921.

Gisborne Times, Volume LV, Issue 6202, 6 October 1921, Page 4

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED DAILY. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 1921.

THE TRAMWAYS PROBLEM. The notice of motion given by Cr. Todd at Tuesday's meeting of the Borough Council, with reference to the tramways system is bound to cause a stir in municipal circles. ,If Cr. Todd secures hift way. the local system will once again be found upon its trial, with what result it is not difficult to forecast. What is desired by that councillor is that a commission be appointed to inquire into—(a) ‘'the tramways and their present position,” (b) “the prospects of the proposed extension to Wliataupoko,” and also (c) "the possibility of getting better results by a different system of propulsion.” '

As to the initial clause of the motion of which notice has been given, the Council should not require to go beyond its own officials for the information required. It must be known to its own officials what has been the capital expenditure on the system, also the condition of repair in which the line and rolling stock stand, and the exact amount of revenue derived from the system, together with the cost of operating the trams and of the upkeep of vehicles and line. Such an investigation would, no doubt, fail to show that the system is a great success financially at the present time. But it has to be borne in mind that the local tramways system does not happen to be singular in this respect. On account of the temporary slump, tile experience of every tramway system in the Dominion is a decline in revenue. It is also the position that the cost of materials, .wages, etc., have very appreciably risen in recent years, and brought about a very substantial increase on the expenditure side of the accounts in respect of every tramway system in the country. Wo doubt very much if, at the present time, any tramway system in the Dominion is doing very much more than paying its way. As to the second clause in Cr. Todd’s notice of motion, little need be said. Nobody could estimate the immediate prospects in respect of the proposed extension to Wliataupoko. What is almost certain, however, is that, with the return of normal times, that branch will prove profitable and be a still greater asset to the borough if Mangapapa be eventually included in the scheme. It is not at all likely that the “City Fathers” will, at this juncture, give serious consideration to any proposal for a change in the system of propulsion in regard to the tramways. The day may come when the storage battery system may have to give way to an overhead system or to a system of rail-less trams. But the borough is so badly off, financially, at the present time that such a proposal could not possibly he adopted. If it should, in due course, prove that the present system cannot be continued, it might mean that this important town might have to go without trams for some years. We do not, however, anticpate .that matters will reach such an acute stage. It certainly does, however, behove the “City Fathers” to go very deeply into the question bf how best to conduct the present system in order that if, possible, a profit may be made, or, at worst, that the loss on the services be very small. The discussion on Cr. Todd’s motion, when it comes before the Council, is bound to prove illuminating and is certain to result in good in that councillors will he made much more conversant with the actual position in regard to the tramways system than would appear to be the position.