ELECTRIC TRAMWAYS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 11433, 25 July 1900, Page 5

ELECTRIC TRAMWAYS.

Mb. W. G. Binghan has informed Dr. Erson (Mayor of Onehunga) that tho following are tho differences between himself, as representing the Electric Tramways Company, and the Epsom' Road Board, which have delayed the prosecution of the tramway business:— Tho demands of the Epsom Road Board are: (1) That tho wholo width of the Manukau Road through the Epsom district be kept in repair by the Tramway Company, ' owing to the'expense which has been entailed on the Road Board by the traffic to Potter's Paddock tho last 10 or 12 years; (2) on the ' company's refusal to comply with their first request, the representatives, Messrs. S. Hesketh and Car?, required that tho company keep two sides of tho same road in repair (in addition, to tho tramway track) throughout their district, tho Board to pay interest on the cost until they were in a position to repair roads- themselves; (3) on tho company's second refusal to keep tho wholo width of the road in repair, tho Board declined their counter proposal, and stated in a letter dated July 18,1900; " My Board decided to move in the direction of a rearrangement of our boundaries, so' far as tho main road is concerned, so as to equaliso tho burden of expense of its maintenance, and stop 3 are being taken in this direction so far as can be without appeal'to the Ministei foi Public Works. Should these steps he successful, my Board ■will then bo in a position to meet you, and this will bo done at the earliest possiblo moment." The offer of the Tramway Company is as follows:— The company declined to keep the wholo of the Manukau Road in repair, m offered to keep 18ft 9in of tho contro of the road in repair, being tho width of tho proposed track. It could not consent tc bo . penalised for tho laches ol tho old horse Tramway Company. It pointed out that the ,■ electric cars would diminish tho horso traffic by more than one-half on football and other sports days. Also that tho cars would increase the value of property in tho district, and therefore increase tho incomo of the Board; (2) the company offered to metal the "des of the road at a cost of £400 if the j>oard would .repay principal and interest »y a sinking fund spread over 30 yean:. Also Y- contribute £262 10s towards a suggested improvement of tho grading of tho road at Bud Grove it the Board desired to carry it out and contributed the rest. (3) The company decline tc delay the matter till tho unknown Period w ' l8 ' the suggested rearrangement of We boundaries of tho district could bo curried into effect, as in tho interests of the city £«u other districts tho contracts for tho works 01 construction must be immediately prodded with. The refusal of tho Epsom Road Board will prevent tho company from carrying the tramways into tho districts ol One- '"* Hill, 3Jount Ro&il), and Onehunga, m addition to depriving tho inhabitants of *-PSom of the benefit of electric trams.