AUCKLAND ELECTRIC TRAMWAYS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11605, 20 March 1901, Page 5

AUCKLAND ELECTRIC TRAMWAYS.

WORK TO BE STARTED IN' APRIL. Information was received from Wellington yesterday by Mr. P. M. Hansen, attorney \ for the Auckland Electric Tramways Company, that the suburban Order-in-Council , had been approved by Cabinet, the Remuera difficulty being settled in favour of the company. ;■ The general extension clause providing for further extensions of tramway facilities to \ about six _ additional, districts has also been agreed to by Cabinet, but with a time, limit of four years from the date of the Order-in-Council. This means that for all such extensions not completed within four years a separate Order-in-Coun-cil will have to be obtained. Mr. Hansen states that this is very unsatisfactory for the company, because the first suburban' scheme covers a period of three years, leaving only one additional year for the further extensions, and as these extensions amount altogether to about 20 miles of tramline, it is quite out of the question to ask the company to do the work within the time specified, especially as some of the lines could not be expected to pay for' several years to come. He has telegraphed to the company's solicitor in Wellington, instructing him to make representations to the Minister for Public Works that the four vears' time limit should start from the date of the completion of the original suburban scheme, viz., June, 1903. Mr. Hansen also states that he intends to immediately give the City Council notice, under the Tramways Act/of the company's intention to commence breaking up the city streets for the laying of tramlines early in April. According to the latest advices, the first shipment of rails should reach Auckland before the end of March, and should they arrive as expected no time will be lost in commencing the work of laying the tramlines. * °