TRAMWAY EXTENSION.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXX, Issue 14978, 26 April 1909, Page 5

TRAMWAY EXTENSION.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —In replying to the letter of “ The Restless Resident ” published in Saturday’s issue, I do not wish to go into the question of the Hackthorne Road proposal, as I intend to deal with that later on. A few facts as to the Dyer’s Pass Road project, however, should show what'- an -amazing “business proposition ” it is., Mr F. H. Chamberlain, when here] made a survey and estimate for a tram to Victoria Park from the present terminus (a) by Hackthorne Road, and (b) by Dyer’s Pass Road. A perusal of his report shows that it would cost nearly £IOOO less to put the tram up to Victoria Park by Hackthorue Road than by Dyer’s Pass Road. The report states,that for the first 33 chains from the base of the hill by the pass route a lot of cutting would re-

quire to be done, and roughly 26,000 cubic yards of earth would have to be moved to make only a 20ft track for the line. In addition to this, however, the local authority, in order that the road and the tramline may be on the same plane, would require to widen the road by excavation for another 40ft. This would mean shifting another 60,000 cubic>yards of stuff-at a further expenditure of £BOOO. This latter sum would fall on the local authority, and was not, of course., included in Mr Chamberlain’s estimate, Before commencing with the actual work of laying down the line, 76,000 cubic yards would have to be moved ' at a cost of £12,000. Mr Chamberlain also states that the “ Dyer’s Pass route would necessitate lifting the lower end of Colombo Street and Cashmere Hills for approximately .six chains. This would no doubt give rise to substantial claims for compensation by reasou of the alteration of the road levels.” It will therefore be seen that the total cost (i.e., to the Board and to the local authority) of putting a tram to Victoria Park by .the Pass Road would be £IO,OOO at the very least in excess of the cost of going via • Haokthorne Road. This, however, is not all. Not only would it cost more, but after spending £12,000 and removing 75,000 yards of stuff, and paying the claims for compensation, the grade of the Dyer’s Pass Road is not nearly so good as that of the Hackthorn e Road at the present time without the expenditure upon it of one penny. _ ' ■ Again, the people on the lower slopes of the Pass .Road would not use the car in any event, yet it is through this part that the above £12,000 would have to he expended. The people on the higher slopes (including ‘‘Restless Resident ”) would be equally well served by a tram up Haokthorne Road, while the residents living on the intervening levels, and to secure whose oustom the heavy expenditure above referred to would’ have to he incurred, do not earnestly desire the tram, while some (and not a few, either) are' averse to it The Dyer’s Pass Hoad project, while not as dead as Queen Anne, has. at any rate been buried for some considerable time, and it is really too bad of “ Restless Resident ” in the silent watches of the night to scoop away 75,000 cubic yards of earth, disinter the corpse and by anonymity endeavour to bring the poor thing back to life,—l am, etc.. A. F. WEIGH*.