MIRAMAR LOAN PROPOSALS

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1732, 10 May 1905, Page 61

MIRAMAR LOAN PROPOSALS

PUBLIC MEETING. FEREY SERVICE OR TRAMWAYS ? A LIVELY NIGIIT. The Miramar Borough loan proposals we re discussed at a largmy auenuect puhuc meeting held in axeariTs jx.osk, YYoiser Bay, last week, 'lne mayor oi Miramar, Mr v . Townsend, presided, and ne was supported on cue platform hy tne Councillors of the borough. ±he Mayor said 6ucn a large gathering of ratepayers proved that a great deal of interest was being taken in the proposals and the work of the Council, lne proposals submitted to raise a loan of .£36,000, if carried at a poll of ratepayers, whatever might be the result of that night's meeting, would tend to increase the population of the borough. The first item .n the proposals was for the establishment of an .mproved ferry service between the borough of Miramar and the city of Wellington. It had been hinted that the proposals were being placed before the ratepayers without having received consideration from the Council, but such was not the case. On December 12th last the Council was almost unan mous that something should be done in respect to the lerry service, and on March 29th the decision was come to that these proposals should be submitted to the ratepayers. It was proposed to raise <£20,000 to acquire the ferry service. They were not bound to any service, but to provide a service that would equally meet the requirements of Miramar, Sea-

toun, and Karaka Bay. It would be in- I judicious on the part of me boxougk to . run an opposition service. That suen <* bciv.ee wou,d pay was proved by t;iio fact that: the takings of the Ferry Company in 19.)2 wore £2375; m 1903 £3050; in 1994, £3530. These figures showed that a terry service was the best service for Miramar borough. Flans mid been prepared of a 12-knot boat that couid be built complete m Sydney at a cost of £7700, a 12-knot boat would cost £<8200; and a 13 to 13|-knot boat couid be obtained for .£9600. The 12-knot boat would be capable of carrying between 900 and 1000 passengers. It. _was evident that a ferry service, in which they would have no opposition, would be much better tlian a tramway serv ce. It was reckoned that 50 passengers would leave the Miramar wharf a day, and these at 2s 6d a week each, together with the proceeds from footballers, hockey players, and others who went out on Saturday.®, would rr ive a payable result. This 2s 6d per week would be cheaper than the fares they would have to pay if they' went in for a tramway io junction with the city tramways in Constable street. From me Miramar wharf people could reach the city in twenty minutes-—a. much quicker route than by tram. Moreover, with an improved ferry serv ce the- targe area of land lying adjacent to the wharf would doubtless be taken up. rlie second item of the proposals was for the construction of a tunnel through the Seatoun lull, for road improvements, and a proposed park at tlie Chinamen's gardens. Every one would recognise that tli s tunnel was an urgent necessity. The engineer's estimate of the cost of the tunnel was .£7647. Messrs A. and C. Crawford had made an offer, if the tunnel was put through, of ten acres of land for recreation purposes, and al.-o tlie necessary land required for road purposes, with a provise that .£2OO was spent on tlie proposed park. The balance of the money for the item (.£2152) would be spent in road improvements, and £I2OO in park improvements. There was m cl >ubt that such a tunnel Avould benefit tho borough to a very large extent. The third of the proposals wa.; for a motor’bus service and the erection of bor-

ough -offices, estimated at .£6OOO. It was not the intention of the Council to spend this £6OOO on such 'buses, as liad been represented in reports freely circulated throughout the borough. If tho priposal for borrowing this money was carried, the Council would not advocate going in for more than two motor-'buses, costing £IOOO each, sj even if the 'buses were a failure, +he Council would not lose more than £2OOO. But it bad yet to be proved that such 'buses would be a failure, aiicl they would only be taken -on approval. These were the terms offered bv a syndicate with which the Council hacl been in communication. There were alternative proposals for a tramway, and if these were carried, then, of course, they would not go in for the motor-'buses. The whole rate for the tunnel and 'bilges, on a £16,000 estimate, would not amount to more than fiveeighths of a penny. A voice: Your figures are out a long way.

Tlie Mayor: Well, you'll have an opportunity of proving it. Mr Chase Morris said there was not the slightest doubt that tliere would be strife when the poll Avas taken. (A \ r oice: "Question.”) Well, the Mrarnar people Avould be the cut-throats. There Avas no doubt that the people of Miramar Avanted tramways, and objected to being told that a ferry service would serve them better. They did not object to the ferry service, but they Avanted tramways, AA-hicli would increase the A-aluo of land at M rarnar Avest by £IOO,OOO, and the landowners there were prepared to rate themselves for them. If the proposals Avent forAvard in their present form, and tlie ferry service AA'as lost, and the tramways scheme also lost, lioiy would the people feel ? Yet there was a probability of fhat being brought about. Even if they dirl get all tliat was contained in the proposals, what Avould be their posit on three or four years hence ? Miramar -would gTOAV, and the present proposals did not meet the necessities of the future.

Mr A. Jolly said he was sorry they had had such a pronounced declaration of war from the last speaker. On behalf of the Karaka Bay ratepayers he desired to say that there was no desire on their part to cut anyone’s throat. Here there was some "sparring” between Mr Mori's and Mr .Tolly, with heated interjections. Mr Morris objected to certain references to a syndicate. "Let the galled jade wince,” said Mr Jolly. Uproar ensued. Mr Morris rose to reply. There were cries of "Sit down.” " I will say what I’ve got to say.” replied Mr Morris. The chairman intervened. and the atmosphere having cooled, Mr Jolly proceeded. Tramways, he said, would cost the borough <£70.000, and who could stand a rate of three-pence in the pound on the present capital value of the borough ? Let them go slow, and for goodness sake let them not rush blindly into the proposal for tramways. Motor ’buses were a success in all parts of the world, and a motor service would suit Miramar’s requirements- If, in a few years’ time, sufficient population settled at Miramar to justify them building tramways, let them go in for them. The ferry service, however, was a proved success, and the tramways were a r sk. He urged the ratepayers to let the scheme go through. The proposal supported bv Mr Chase Morris for a special rating area was like a drowning man clutching at a straw, and was doiie to kill the proposal. Mr Morris (heatedly): You are ouite wrong. No man was more sincere in do ng what I have done. At this stage the meeting became boisterous. Mr Jolly’s voice was drowned amidst the din, whilst Mr_ Morris ineffectually tried to get in a rejoinder. The audience shoiited excitedly “ Sit down,” ‘‘Sit down.”

The Mayor to Mr Morris: Sit down. Mr Morris: Well, do your duty and protect me. I will not sit still and have such things said of me here, after all the trouble I have gone to in regard to Miramar. I say again no man has bon more sincere than myself. Threatened by the chairman with ejection, Mr Morris said he must defend himself.

Peace was restored. Mr Jolly admitted hat lie might have provoked Mr Morris unnecessarily. Mr Morris: A'ou have.

Mr Jolly: Weil, I’m sorry

Councillor Wardell said he had always advocated a combined scheme of ferry steamei s and trains, and thought they made a mistake in being divided on the question of communication. The rates payable by the people of Miramar West were two-thirds of the amount of the whole borough. Therefore Miramar West, which was not satisfied with the ferrv service, was asked to pay the bulk of the rates for the service. -Surely some scheme could have been arrived at which would have the united support of the whole district. He suggested the abandonment of the present proposals, which were ill-considered. It was not, lie thought, fair tor the Mayor to submit figures to that meeting which had not been considered by the Council. The expenditure on the proposed tunnel would only be justified if a tram scheme were brought down. No harm could be done by postponing these proposals for two or three months, as in their present form they were ill-digested. All the friction had been caused through the Mavor not coming off the rail, and telling them exactly what he was in favour of. A comprehensive scheme should be brought down that would meet the requirements of the whole district.

Mr IV. 11. P. Barber regretted tlie division there was on this question. There was no doubt the ferry service wanted improving, and no one could do it better than a local body. It was in the interests of the district that tho service should be acquired by the Miramar Council. The borough was now laying the foundation of what in time would be a second city of Wellington, and they wanted to lay a sound foundation. He was in favour of a tramway, and if they decided on that means of communication, in two real's’ time they would have a population that would amply pay for tho running. By the time that- the tramway was complete, there would be such a population as to amply justify the expenditure. The Mayor, in reply, denied that the proposals had been submitted hurriedly, or that he was forcing this question on the ratepayers. What was being done now had the approval of the majority of the Council. Anyone who knew Fred Townsend knew that he never sar on u, rail. The figures of this scheme had been placed before tlie Council. Councillor Wardell: The figures you quoted to-night ? The Mayor: No. Councillor Wardell: All.

The Mayor was interrupted in liis further remarks by the siren of the ferry steamer at 11 o’clock. Amidst a stampede from the hail, and cries of "Put tho motion,” the motion was duly put. It was lost by a considerable majority. Tlie chairman declared it carried.

The meeting, which lasted three hours and a half, broke up in.great disorder.