TRAMWAY PROBLEM.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4307, 16 March 1901, Page 3

TRAMWAY PROBLEM.

i WHAT CITIZENS THINK OF THE SCHEME. A CHORUS OF APPROVAL, Of course, the principal topic of town talk yesterday was the new tramway proposals of the City Council. It will encourage the Mayor and City Councillors to know that the trouble they have taken in formulating a comprehensive scheme of electric traction meets with the approval of citizens generally. Ratepayers hardly realised that the expense would be so great as has been indicated, but those who hav'o been spoken to on tho subject seem confident that it is: an expenditure which will have to be faced —the sooner tho better —and realising Hie profitable nature of tho undertaking, they think it will eventually prove a good investment for tho city. MR. DUTHIE WANTS QUICK TRANSIT. Spoken to by a “Times” reporter yestmlay morning, Mr John Dutiiie expressed great satisfaction that steps were, at hist being taken to push on with an electric train, system. Speaking in tho light of his recent experiences abroad—and at the same time disclaiming any idea, of playing scheme against .(■heme and thereby causing delay—-Mr Online thinks that a more advantageous

way of dealing with the matter -would have been, first of oil, to establish a ouick service between the Mannwatu Railway Station and Newtown, past, the Government Buildings, General Rost (Slice, Queen’s Wharf. To Aro Railway Station and Kent terrace. Such » lino could lie laid down at once for the convenience of those wishing to travel (piickly from one end of the city to the oilier. And after that had been done, then the Council could systematically set to work to root up the present central lino, and replace it in tho man nor suggested Mr Duthio points out that even with two lines of rails the Council will never bo able to establish a really fast tram . service iu oar narrow' and congested streets. Not only will there , be blockages caused by the over increasing vehicular traffic, but there are so many corners and so few straight runs, and so many grades to be encountered. . that it will bo impassible to got; a service much quicker than our present horse tram system. Therefore, though the shopkeepers will naturally desire, and, in fact, demand, ultimately to have a tramway service passing their doors for : tho convenience of their customers, it . will never he more than a slow loop service—a. feeder to the quick regular service witli recognised stopping places, ‘ which Air Dathio advocates. If there are reasons against Air .Duthie’s point 1 of view', be lias not yet been apprised of ( them. ]

THE FINANCIAL ASPECT. .Mr' T. Kennedy Macdonald put im opinion in brief. “Tho tram will cost, say, £250,000,” he said. ‘"The interest on that will be, say, -£IO,OOO a year. It tho tramway is properly laid down and run by competent hands—that is tho great point—there will bo no difficulty in making it return a handsome profit to the ratepayers. Let us run the tramway out to the city boundaries' first. Lot the extensions follow tho demand which is made for them.'” TSIE MAYOR’S VIEWS.

Asked by a “Times” reporter why the Council had not adopted the plan suggested by Messrs Duthio and Ferguson, and established a fast route outside the business streets, Mr Aitken said the Council, after weighing the evidence, and getting expert advice, had decided that the route through the main streets was the best one to adopt. A fast service could coma afterwards. The Mayor says the advice the Council lias received is that they will be able to run at a fast speed through the central streets of the city, narrow and sharp-cornered as they are. At any rate, he considers that the business community and those who deal with them must first be considered. On the other hand, it is the short tides which pay, and that cannot he regarded as a minor consideration. People who “go shopping” travel in short stages usually, hut people who make use of a fast service with fixed stopping places are inclined to have their money’s worth—-take their ride first and do their shopping afoot afterwards.- As to the installation of tho electric tram system through the crowded streets, Mr Aitken says the werk will be accomplished section by section, and the horse trams traffic will not be stopped or interfered with until something fins boon provided to take their place,

system and sequence wanted

Mr J. R. Blair, when % he was Mayor in 1898 and 1899, devoted a. great deal of attention to the tramway que.stion. In various statements made to the City Council end at public meetings, ho expressed his views on tho subject and in particular his conviction, that electric traction, on the overhead trolley system should he adopted. The tramway scheme adopted by the City Council on Thursday night is, says Mr Blair, practically ,tho same as, that which, ho put forward during Ids Mayoralty. save that a change has been made in regard to gauge. He does not know why a wider gauge than tho present one .should he adopted. He has never heard of any of the tram cars now iu use being overturned ; and the gauge is capable of giving a fair amount of accommodation. No doubt the wider gauge will give more accommodation, but it is .questionable whether such a gauge can lie used in narrow streets, and also whether the city can afford to discard all tho existing plant, as will have-to be done if the wider gauge is adopted.' When Mr Blair, was in tho Mayoral chair he went closely into tho question of tramway conversion and extension. Ho mad© an .estimate of the cost of the work. In doing this, he availed himself of details of contracts which had been let elsewhere, adding percentages to cover the increased cost of labour and of materials in Wellington. He worked out bis estimates himself. So far as Mr Blair can make out, his estimates were probably a little higher than those now submitted by tho City Engineer. For that reason ho will look with interest for the actual expenditure. The British system of a Local Government Board is one which commends itself to Mr Blair’s mind, A function of that Board is to investigate proposed works, and decide whether they are undertakings which should reasonably he gone iotp. Until the Board approves of a work it cannot be gone on with. If there was a similar department in Now Zealand it would, Mr Blair thinks,-he a great safeguard to tho public. An engineer, however well qualified, is liable to make mistakes. Under the system of a Local Government Board estimates are cheeked, and more reliance can then be placed upon them. Mr Blair quite approves of Government control in matters of that kind. The ex-Mayor is anxious that the

j extensive works which are required for the improvemenfi-df the city and its services should he carried out in proper sequence. It would, he holds, be the reverse of economical T/> carry out an expensive system of wood paving before there was some finalitj' in regard to | water supply. To put down a wood j pavement and then, have to take it up in every direction, in order to deal with water pipes would not be tiie way to do things. There is no doubt, says Air Blair, that paving .with wood blocks is one of tho best methods of street-mak-ing in cities. But ho considers that the paving should not be done until all arrangements as to water and drain pipes are as complete as they can possibly be. Except in the principal streets, wood paving might very well wait till tho water supply and drainage systems, are on a better footing.

In Air Blair's opinion tho improvement of tho water supply is one of the first matters that should he dealt with. On tho higher part of Wellington terrace, where he resides, the supply, is extremely had. If it i.s bad there, ln> is confident it must ho very much worse at si ill iiighcr levels. The provision for carrying off stonn water is inadequate, and tin' niefhod of road-making still loaves a good deal to be desired.