GISBORNE TRAMWAYS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 10164, 1 September 1915, Page 6

GISBORNE TRAMWAYS.

LETTER TO EDISON STORAGE CO.

At a recent meeting of the Gisbornc Borough Council. Cr. Miinns submitted that the following draft of a tetter .which it was decided to forward to the Edison Storage Battery Co.. United States:— "In 1912 this Borough decided to install a tramway sen-ice. and after making exhaustive enquiries, finally decided that the Ediscn storage battery system would be best suit-d foe our requirements. Owing to your company having handed over to the Beach Company the sole right to install your system in tram cars, we were compelled to purchase our cars from that company. Wo did so in good faith, relying on the fact that as this company had your guarantee behind them we would bo perfectly safe. Wo were %dvised to buy the cars, have thera assembled in America, taken to pieces agaia and|. sent on to us unassembled, so as to savef freizhjU r>Wfi..acted as w.c.had been adviad, btn'Sfe qrilfrr certain that although weshad acted fairly, we had not received jus&treatment. The condition of the cars on a/rival proved conclusively that they had,fever been assembled. The mortices even had no' been properly cleaned out —that alone is positive proof that the body had never been fitted previous to export. We might also mention that no plan or print was sent with the cars; nothing was marked, no battery compartment designed or wiring -diagram forwarded. This shows there was something radically wrong ar your end at the very commencement. Our troubles commenced in earnest a-s soon as we got the cars in commission. We found that they were quite unsuitable for our requirements. They seem to have been built far too light, and we had to go to a great amount of expense to put the trucks and running gear in a safe condition for traffic. The trucks had tc be reinforced with 4xl steel cros pieces, and stronger eliptical springs The brake gear, being impossible. had to be rearganised to pass the Public VVorki test for safety. Some'of the brake rigging was never memt for a single car construction. Mad we not done as above mentioned, we can assure you that so far as Gisborne is concerned, the Edison storaire baiter; system would have been absolutely condemned, because the cars in which your system was contained were quite unsuitable. This however, is not all. We have been given to understand, and fully believe, that the batteries themselves were not all that we could desire or expect, considering the umoum we paid for them. They were the earlv type of A 8 cell, 'old tvpe containers.' numbers being 100 C and 2000. Although our equipment was put in commission in April. 1915. we wore supplied with this set of cells, yet the improved A 8 ceil hod been on tie- market months before. We are or the opinion that the cells supplied to us were not far from the experimental stage, and should never have been sent to us. The point wo wish to emphasise is this. viz.: That o>ving to your action in handing over the sole rights to install your system intram<'ar-> to th> Reach Company, we, relying on your line's reputation, purchased ears which wire not a success. We feel that there is a great future ahead for your system, but owing to our unfortunate experience we cannot recommend it. We would ask you to consider the matter from your own point of view, and to make it? the following concession, viz.: supply us with the b;.ttcry equipment for two new care free. These cars we- are prepared to have' supervised by your export, and we firmly believe that this action of yours, if you choose to fall in with our wishes, will prov-3 of. great benefit to yourselves, as it must result in the extension of your system here, and would undoubtedly open the. way for further installations in other parts ot New Zealand. Trusting you will see the fairness of cur claim." ANOTHER SYSTEM.

The following letter was also received from Mr \V. L. Clayton:— "We have received a cable from the Thomas Trims-mis-sion, Ltd., to suy that the design for the Gisbornc tramway system r, almost completed and saying that \Ui vtreiiiely important that -you persuade the Council to postpone their decision re the Edition cars. We should ho.' ulad to hear f rom you whether theiv is any prospect of any postponement taking place, particularly so as Mr Thomas, the inventor of the Thomas Transmission, sails for New Zealand at the end of ihpresent month'. The Gisbornc Council v.ill. therefore-; have the opportunity of personally consulting Mr Thomas upon the subject of the proposed tramway improvements.