KARORI’S TRAMS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 6870, 14 July 1909, Page 5

KARORI’S TRAMS

IS EXTENSION DESIRABLE? SOME RESIDENTS FAVOUR HALF WAT. The proposal to extend the Karori tramway to the foot of Makara hill is exciting much comment among residents of the suburb, some of whom hold that before any scheme is adopted considerable modifications should be introduced. Some inquiries made by a "New Zealand Times” reporter yesterday, showed that the district is very much divided over the question, one of the opinions secured being somewhat to the following effect: "Although the present tramway has the benefit of the closer settlement along its route and also of the cemetery traf fio, it is barely paying working expenses. Probably this us owing to the long distances Karori residents have to travel to fit in with the city connections. By having to go the bottom of Tinakori road they have to travel .quite four miles, while’ it is possible to reach the city via Kelburne by a route only half as long. The promoters of the extension admit that from the cemetery or for the two miles further they propose to go the line will not do more than pay bare working expenses, without any profit at all for actual running or aid in reduction of the capital cost. This means that ratepayers will be taxed enormously, probably 50 per cent, more than at present. Proof that the existing line does not really pay is found in the fact that rates have been more than doubled since it was constructed.’ There is no doubt that the tramway loan is entirely responsible for this. A large number of the residents along the first mile of the proposed extension feel that it will be years before the tram will anything like pay for itself, and urge that the line should not be taken any further than the post office. .That would bo only half way between the present terminus and Makara hill, and would, of course, mean only half the cost of the complete scheme. Some also feel that the land speculator is largely at the back of the proposals and that interested syndicates are straining every nerve to get the line carried the full length without making any payment themselves towards the possible loss." “It is alleged that even the opponents of the - scheme are perfectly willing to sanction legitimate extension and to carry the trams to such a point that there will not be, half a dozen residents living more Ihan. ten minutes’ walk from it. That would be the state of afiairs if the line were to stop at the post office, but there is decided objection to running it the full distance almost entirely in the interests of land speculators. A strong argument used by those at the far end of the borough is that they are getting insufficient benefit from the present tram while they have to pay the tramways rate. Opponents to the full scheme admit that this is quite true, hut urge that those at tho southern end are not rated to such an extent as others. Tho minimum rates in the southern end of the district are practically on a valuation of about hi. 3 per acre, while property near tho line is valued very much higher. People in the latter position certainly get more benefit from the line, but are also paying much more heavily for it. There is a strong feeling that if tho proposed extension ended at tho post office the vote would practically be unanimous. Now many of the more liberal-minded are on the horns of a dilemma, for they are perfectly willing that tho line should go tho extra milo, but feel forced to block its being carried the full length when there is no possible hope of its ever being payable.”