THE PROPOSED NAPIER TARA DALE TRAMWAY.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7611, 7 December 1886, Page 3

THE PROPOSED NAPIER TARA DALE TRAMWAY.

There was a special meeting of the I Hawke's Bay County Council yesterday, < to receive a report from the committee i appointed by the Council to confer with < representatives of tlie Tramway Company, i There were present— Mr J. Bennett I (Chairman), Captain Russell, and Messrs T. Tanner, K. I). D. M'Lean, I. Sutton, 1 and G. Rymer. ' The Chairman said the committee ap- i pointed by the Council instructed Mr i C. D. Kennedy to prepare estimates of the cost of widening tho roads and bridges < between Napier and Taiadalo. His (the . chairman's) idea was to make the road ■ wide enough- for all traffic, to ascertain the cost, and see what the Tramway Com- 1 pany would contribute towards it. Mr 1 Kennedy's estimate for making the nar- 7 row parts of the road 33ft wide between < the town boundary and the Tutaekuri bridge was £475, and from tho bridge to i Taradale £550, or a total of £1025. ' When the committee met the directors of ' the company there was a long discussion < on various matters, and it was agreed that the cost of widening the bridges i should not be imported into the question, : as a bridge wide enough for single traffic was wide enough for tramway purposes, .' and no impediment to traffic would be caused by the tramway. But it was thought that it would bo wisest to do < away with the central bridge, it was not required., water only flowing through < it in flood time, and the low causeway provided sufficient outlet for Hood i water. ' Tho bridge was an old one, built of matai, and two years ago Mr Orr ' had reported it unsafe. Mr Kennedy had not reported on that point, bnt had in- i formed him (the chairman) that he was of i the samo opinion ns Mr Orr. It was j therefore thought better to do away with i the bridge altogether, and lill in the gap. i Mr Kennedy's estimate was laid before i the directors of the Tramway Company, i who were asked to make an ofi'er to the ; Council. The committee had also diwvn '. up a report for presentation to tho Council. He might say that, putting the question i of the -tramway on one side, the road required widening to carry the ordinary traflic. Perhaps the work would not have ; to be put in hand at once, but it could not be long delayed. The report of the committee was as follows :— Tho county engineer, Mr Kennedy, laid ' boforo tho committee an estimato for widen- ' ing the road from Napier to Taradalo to a width of 33ft to a permanent level, cost £1025, Tho committee after considerable discussion ; agreed to recommend the following for tho consideration o£ tho Council, viz. : 1. That the Council form the road to a width of 33ft, pro- • viding Tramway Company pay ono half of tho cost. 2. That the centre bridec be taken down and the space filled in, tho bridgo being considered unsafe for heavy traffic, and no bridges required there. 3. That 'the line for tram bo in tho centre of tho road, and that tho company keep in repair 18in on each side of rails instead of Sin as proposed by the company, i. That the Council will not bo liablo, under any circumstances, for any cost required for repairing damages caused to tramway by floods or any other causes. 5. Tho adoption of this report to bo subject to further consideration as regards agrcomonts lo bo ontored into between the County Council and tho Tramway Company. The chairman added that a reply had been received from the directors of the tramway company, offering to contribute £250 towards the cost of widening the road. Captain Russell said the letter did not mention the width of the road. The Cliairmun said that was left to the Council. The Tramway Company only required the road widening six feet, and Mr Carr had drawn up an estimate of the cost of doing that. But the committee thought it was best to make the whole road 33 feet wide, to provide for all traflic. His own idea was that tlie Council should bear more than half the cosb, because tbe road need not be made so wide merely for the tramway, and the company was fairly entitled to consideration, as tho tramway would relieve the road of a great deal of ordinary traffic. The committee, however, thought the company should be asked to pay half the cost. Mr Sutton moved that the oft'er of the directors of the Tramway Company bo accepted. Mr Kennedy's ostlmafe was not only for widening tlie road, but for formation and raising it to the permanent level. The Tramway_ Company was interested only in the widening of the road. Mr M'Lean said that if the tramway kept to tlie middle of the road in some places drays would have to go on the side and might get stuck. Mr Sutton understood from tlie tenor of the report that the road in some parts would have to be raised to bring it to the permanent level. Captain Russell : What is the permanent level ? Is there any ? The Chairman said there must be a misapprehension as to Iho meaning of Mr Kennedy in referring to the permanent level, ile took it that the crown of the road was the permanent level. The causeway, of course, could not be raised, as that was purposely made low to allow tho escape of flood- water. In reply to a question by Mr Tanner, tho chairman said tliDcommittoQ intandod the tramway ta run in the middle of Uio load, nnii ixoi at fclie Kide.s. Mv lU'ijwvn sm<! vlif sninpany troulil fmvo to maintain tlie road for a lixcil distance on each sid<> ol llw (.muiway. and as* .uoauoiMic trallic would use that part of the road the cspoiid)|.ju'u of the Ccuoi-i( en maintenance would be reduced. ■]■>' "'"' " "Replying to Mr Tanner, the Chairman said the causeway would not require widening. Mr Sutlon thought the Council should not throw any obstacle in the way of the company, as' the tramway would be a public convenience. As to whether it would pay, that was a question for the company, not for the Council. Many believed that it would pay, and were prepared to put their money into it. Under any circumstances the road must be widened, and it would cost £'100 to £500 to put it in decent shape. The Clmirman said it would cost £1000 ! to widen it siifHciently to meet the dc- < mands of the present traflic. i Mr Rymor thought the Council should i not come lo a decision in a hurry. Mr i Mutton's motion would practically comi mit the Council to an acceptance of the i terms proposed by tho Tramway Com- > pany, which included a concession for I 35 year*. Even for that large concession > they only proposed lo make a paltry '■ -wheelbarrow (rack, ami they would debar • any other company from building n- proper : tramway. The tramway would, obstruct

traffic, and cause a serious inconvenience to those who used the road, ami who had paid a good deal towards it. When the toll-gate was there he alone paid £10Q a year toll money. Mr Tanner said he believed the proposed gauge of 2ft Oin'was the narrowest in the colony. Did any councillor know one so narrow ? Let them measure oft" 2ft Gin, and then build on it a coach wide enough to cany passengers, and ask themselves how tliey would like to be caught by a westerly gale in the causeway in such a vehicle. When they remembered that the wide Petane coach had been blown over on the beach, they must conclude that tho narrowness of the proposed gauge was dangerous. For himself he would sooner be in the outer harbor in the Bo'ojiim with a heavy gale blowing. The Chfuniian said the terms would have to bo settled subsequently. Mr Sutton's motion would only bind the Council to widen the road on the company contributing £250, and other details would still be o])en. He had called the meeting because it had been represented to him that tho company were anxious to have that point settled so that they could send away for plant. Mr Kymer said he was prepared to give better terms himself for a concession of 35 years. Captain Russell asked what it would cost to put the road in proper order for wheeled tralfic ? It seemed to be agreed that in places it required widening. The Chairman said the whole road required widening to 33ft, whether the tramway was built or not. Tlie cost was estimated at £1025. Mr Kymcr agreed that the road greatly needed widening. Mr M'Lean did not question that, but bethought the greater necessities of outlying districts should ho first considered. There was the road from Peach-grove, which was most dangerous. Mr Rymer said the Peach-grove cutting had just been finished, and was now quite safe for traffic. He would remind Mr M'Lean that the Taradale road was the most used of any in the county, while it had cost the county comparatively little. The Eoad "Hoard had spent a considerable sum on it after a Hood some years ago, and while there was a toll-gate on the road the county had annually received a surplus after maintaining the road. Mr Tanner maintained that though the road needed widening in parts, it would not bo necessary to spend more than £250 or £300 in doing all that was required, apart from the tramway. Mr Rymer said tlie proposal should be thoroughly understood. Tlie tramway promoters were not philanthropists^ hut projected the undertaking as a private speculation, and hoped to make money out of it. Yet they asked foi' the use of the public roads for 35 years, and offered nothing in return. He might be called interested, but he would not complain if the bargain were a good one for the public, and the company put down a proper tramway. Mr Tanner feared the tramway would prove a serious obstruction to other traffic, but of course the company would not object to that— it would tend to throw traffic into their hands. [To Mr Rymer :] Mr llyoier, yon know something of tho present facilities for traffic. What is your opinion of it? Mr Kymer: The present coaches could cany three times as much traflic as they do now. Mr Tanner said that in other places tho tramway companies gave a substantial rent for' the use of tho roads. The Auckland company, he believed, paid a heavy rent. Mr Sutton : Nothing for the first seven years. Mr Rymer said nothing was offered in this instance, and the company would put. down an insufficient track, but it would debar any other company from putting down a proper track. The company might simply stop running and leave the track there. ' ■ Mr Sutton said it was to be presumed that the company would be managed on business principles. No doubt if it did not pay they would be willing to sell the track to another company. Mr Rymer -. No doubt they would. Companies will do very foolish things. I believe 20 out of every 21 floated in New Zealand are failures. Mr Tanner said it was argued that tho tramway would promote settlement, But ho failed to see how one-horse trams would promote settlement if four-horse coaches failed to do so. The Chairman thought the Council should not throw any obstruction in the way of the company, for the tramway would undoubtedly relieve the road from a good deal of ordinary traffic. Mr Tanner : We don't want to obstruct them. We want to prevent them obstructing ns. Mr M'Lean : Will there be any obstruction ? The Chairman : No. Mr Rymer: Suppose a tram-car stuck on the bridge ? Whore are you then ? The Chairman : Bnt suppose a wooldray stuck — where are you then ? Mr Rymer : But none has ever been stuck. The Chairman : Then the tram • cars won't stick. Considerable further, discussion of a similar tenor followed. It was incidentally stated by the chairman that the conditions proposed by tho company included an obligation to run a certajn number of cars daily. He also mentioned that the Council could have access to copies of agreements entered into between the tramway companies and local authorities in Dunedin, Wellington, and Auckland, which had been obtained for the information of the Napier Borough Conncil. \3ltimately Mr Tanner moved, and Mr M'Lean seconded, the adoption of tlie report presented by the committee. Mi- Sutton's motion was then taken as the amendment, and was so altered as to embody the adoption of the report of the committee with tlie exception of the clause recommending that half the cost of widening the road should be required from the company. He moved that a contribution of £250, as offered, be accepted. The amendment was negatived on the voices, and Mr Tanner's motion was carried. Mr Sulton : That stops the company. Mr Tanner: If it does the promoters have not much confidence in it. The Council then went into committee to consider other details of the proposed agreement with the Tramway Company.