SUBURBAN TRAMWAYS

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1507, 17 January 1901, Page 42

SUBURBAN TRAMWAYS

PUBLIC MEETING AT BROOKLYN. A meeting was held in Brooklyn Churchroom on Monday to consider the matter of obtaining tramway oommoni- ' cation with the city. There was an attendance of about 20J burgesses, mainly Brooklyn residents, but° including representatives from all parts, of the Melrose Borough. The Mayor and most of the Councillors were •present. .Mr J. J. Devine took the chair, and said he was one of the first to. advocate the municipalisat ion of the city tramways. He heartily approved the extension of the tramways to the suburbs. He was not in a position to pass an opinion as yet on the merits of the scheme to bo submitted, but lie hacl no doubt that any practicable scheme would be. favourably received. ..,/Mr James Reid moved, and Mr Jen- . iiirigs seconded, a motion affirming—- “ That this meeting is of opinion that the time has arrived when the City, Brooklyn, Ycgeltown and Island Bay should be served by tramway communication.” Mr Reid, in speaking to his 'motion, said the new Municipal Act gave to each ward of a. borough the potter to borrow irrespective of other wards; and that proviso gave a large chance for the attainment of Brooklyn and Island Bay wishes, which the residents did not possess under the old Act. The people of Island Bay proposed to . immediately move in the matter of instituting an all-round tram service from Island Bay. ! Speaking as to the feasibility of tlu proposal before the meeting, he would say that he had inspected the steep traction grade at Mornington (Dunedin), and had found it eminently practicable.; The• system was cable traction —Tond -that .was what was wanted for Brooklyn and Island Bay. An adequate •service .to Island Bay would require an expenditure of £30,000. To meet that expenditure a rate of 2d in the pound on the properties of Brooklyn and Island Bay would suffice. But if the ■tram proved to be a profit-making business the rate would be only nominal The speaker was heartily applauded on the ■conclusion of his remarks.

Mr W. F. Jennings, in • seconding the motion, paid a tribute to the press of the city for the way in which it had advocate.. the claims of tramway extension. Dealing with the question of cost,, he said that the figures he would quote were unquestionably accurate. The. unimproved value- of property in Island Bay Ward was £65,463; and in Gliiro, £71,000, altogether (say) £137,000, He hold that the watersheds of Mitchelitown and Karori should bei exempted, therefore a total of £II,OOO should be eliminated. That would leave an amount to be raised that would require a rate of 2d and 3-sths. Even if every fraction of that rate were required to be yearly raised it would only mean that a sum of £1 Is 7d l-sth would be required from each £IOO worth cf property. Dealing with the question of time required for tram transit to Brooklyn from the city, he pointed out that only about six minutes would be required for each trip. Mr Jefcixiiugs quoted from the “Evening Star” of Dunedin to prove that the Mornington tram had a -grade of Ift in 3-tit, whereas the proposed Bi-eoklyn line could be laid down cn a grade cf Ift in Bft. Mr F. Louden said the meeting owed a debt of gratitude to the gentlemen who had preceded him for the excellent data which they had brought down with the proposal. lie 'was satisfied there would be a loss cn the initial working of the tramway—r-that almost always followed—but the convenience would be very cheap at tho cost of £1 Is 7tl in the hundred pounds per annum. Councillor Walter, a Brooklyn representative, said there was no need to go begging to the City Council for the right to go into the city. -By the provisions of the Act of 1894 they were, entitled to take a tramway ond mile into the city for every two. miles they laid down in the borough. They cf Brooklyn and Island Bay would have to do the best they could tenet the present sceme through. The City Council would never help them. As soon its that body acquired Miramar it would not trouble one iota about Brooklyn and Island Bay. Mr G. E. Smith drew attention to the grel.it attraction Island Lay vr< uki afford to casual tourists when tho tram had. been- instituted. Councillor Brown*, an Oluro representative, was of opinion that it would pay them even to double their rotes rather' than forego the advantages of Lam communication with tho city. There was, ho said, an opinion held by many Brooklyn residents that the tramway should be run by a syndicate. It was time that idea was abandoned. The experience, of the" past few years showed that municipal flOntrol was eminently successful. The motion was than put and carried with six dissoufcicut votes. • On the motion of Mr G. E. Sun to, seconded by Mr Jackson, a committee consisting of Messrs Burton, hc<3c arid Jennings was an pc laird to canter end cooperate with the delegates from. Island Ray for tho purpose of carrying out Cue details of the proposed scheme, and to take action therein in conjunction with the Melrose Borough Council. A vote of thanks to the Chairman concluded the business of the evening.