BROOKLYN-ISLAND BAY TRAMWAY.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1510, 7 February 1901, Page 57

BROOKLYN-ISLAND BAY TRAMWAY.

MEETING OF RESIDENTS

A public meeting was held in the Island Bay schoolroom on the 30th to receive the report of a committee which had been appointed, to go into the question of a tramway to connect the city, Brooklyn and Island Bay. Mr James Reid, the convener of the meeting, said that one of the Melrose Borough Councillors and Jiiniself had visited Dunedin, and made certain investigations there. They went to Dunedin because they had heard that there were tramways there with systems of •traction which, would be suitable for the Brooklyn route. They rode over the various tramway lines of Dunedin very many times. His own first impression of the - high level tramways there was very satisfactory. The grades were much steeper than anything that would have to be dealt with on the Brooklyn-Island Bay route. One of the grades was one foot in three and a half feet. That grade extended for about half a mile. On the other side of the gully there was another half-mile with the same grade. On the cable tramways in. Dunedin, the cars were readily stopped, either going up. dr. coming down, the; rate of speed b§ing six miles an hour. The steepest grades were .mounted with ease, and descended with safety. He found on making inquiry in regard to one of. the lines that fommghteen. years. they had never had a single accident. The horse trams of - Wellington had -killed more people than the cable tramways of Dunedin." There were three cable tramways rumamg at right angles to the main Dunedin tramline. ; One of the cable lines had only recently been in;operation at the time of his visit. . There was one condition which should be mentioned, and that . was that the suburbs served by cable lines in Dunedin were purely residential. There was no inducement for people to .go to them to spend a holiday : the lines serving them were intended to carry people to. their work and back. The fare was 2d for the journey uphill and Id for the downward journey. With these fares, the lines were paying. The Brdoklyn-Island Bay tramway, as contrasted with the cable lines in Dunedm, would carry not only suburban residents, but also city, residents, who wished .to. get to Island Bay for fresh .air and recreation. It could reasonably be claimed that the proposed tramway would get a good deal of revenue from excursion traffic, more especial!y in the summer. The sea, however, was attractive also in the winter. Some of the cars used on the cable lines in Dunedin were not of a very high class, but he learnt that they were being replaced. The oars used! oh the electric line in Dunedin were perfect palaces, as unlike as possible the dirty, draughty cars used in Wellington, which, he believed, had cost many a life. On the electric line in Dunedin there was one short grade. Travelling on the line in a car which contained forty-five passengers, he found that the car- was allowed to gain additional impetus before facing the grade. He therefore concluded' that- : the oar could not have done much more than mount* the grade. On going to the power-house where the two engines were working, the one for a .cable line and the other for the electric line, he questioned the engine-driver- who said, “ You, can’t beat the. cable system,- we have no trouble with it.” As to theelectric system, the driver said, “ I know when a car is going up tho grade, because it is very ‘hard- on the engine.” Of course, the power could be increased on the electric line, but that meant an. increase in cost. - The electric., traction, system, was the up-to-date t ? system, and . was evqry year being improved upon, - add if those interested wanted , that sys- 7 tern, he would, be., prepared J't>or join' in with them. .Mm'Reidnext, gave his' experiences of. . the" ' "steam- and' horse ; lines in and said he found that oity, like . Dunedin, ahead of WelUngldn in. respect of tram- ! ways. In conclusion, .Mr Reidreportecl on a public meeting /which had been held .at Brooklyn . and. 6 n a?n / interview whlch thb Resid’ehts’/Cfopimittee liad had' with the’ Melrbse. Council. The . Ooiihciil Had set up’a Tramway Committee, which < would; meet the cominittoe appointed by. the residents. Experts were being asked * hdw much they - Would , wapt to 'make surveys, take levels and prepare plans j : so as io enable a, .fair :, idea to', Ibe. obtained- '£s to - the cost of laying a tramway between /the city and Inland Bay .by?way of .Brooklyn. With reference to the question of route, one thing, would. have to be kept im view,. anid that was to have" rdpid : transit from i odd ‘end,.to' the? other of the line. Every ;' prpyisibp would, be made to’ servd : centres of popMatibh whidh werb hot exaetly? on the route.' There -.might fbe ? branch, lines to them ; . The? Residents’ * Committee was not blind to the fact that the Newtown part of the borough must bo catered for. Mr Reid said ho wwaglad to Bee some new faces at the meeting, though ib was discbtiraging not ? to> have the attendance bf some of those who were ; present at? the earlier meeting®. ' Y t'A: .

In the course of a conversational disouseion, it was stated that the proposed line would! come down Upper Willis fiftreet as'far ae the Albert -Hotel eorneir. ;;

Mr R: G. Knight said-he had been

given to understand that the City Council had hung up the conversion of the municipal tramways to the electric system until the iron market became easier. ..

Mr W. Brunskill said he thought there was every prospect of getting a •through line if it were taken by way of Brooklyn.

Mr F. Jennings said that if the expenditure on the construction of "lie line was £'30,000, and if when working the line did not return one farthing by way of interest, the only deficit that the ratepayers of Island Bay, Vogeltown and Brooklyn would have to maxe up would come to something between 19s and £1 on every £IOO unimproved value. He believed, however, there would be no deficit.

Mr R. Halley referred to the very large number of passengers carried to Sumner and New Brighton by the Christchurch tramways, and also to the great increase in the value of land outside of Christchurch which had taken place in consequence of tramway communication.

On the motion of Mr Halley, seconded by Mr T. C. Peers, the report of the Residents’ Committee was received and adopted.