TO ROSENEATH

New Zealand Times, Volume LI, Issue 11784, 21 March 1924, Page 5

TO ROSENEATH

SCHEME ADOPTED INCLINED TRAMWAY TO BE GONE ON WITH. POSTPONEMENT NOT FAVOURED. An endeavour to arrive at finality in connection wit-h the much debated question of access to Roseaieath .was made by the Wellington City Council last night, when the tramways committee recommended:—. “That authority be granted for tho construction of an inclined tramway to Roseneath, the installation comprising a single car with balanced weight similar to the equipment in operation ini Southend, England, and in accordance with the plan to be laid on the table. The committee wished to point out that this will meet .with the requirements of this part of the district for many years to come, and at the same time will leave room on the face of the hill for the construction of the tramcar elevating system at some future date. The construction costs and maintenance charges of the single car system would be considerably less than with the double car scheme.” FIVE MINUTES’ SERVICE.

Moving the adoption of the recommendation, the Mayor said that both sides had been heard at length, and now the decision was that the inclined tram should he gone on with. The car would seat 20 passengersj and would give a five minutes service. It was hoped the work would be done within the estimate of £IO,OOO. The car would bo 37 feet long, operated by a motorman at the top and an attendant at the bottom. The place would be fenced oft at tho top and the bottom on the lines of the Kelburn tram. The scheme would no* interfere with any scheme for a tramway going round tne Roseneath hills. WON’T PREJUDICE OTHER SCHEMES.

Councillor H. D. Bennett said the soheme would not in any way prejudice the claims of those who wanted trams in this and adjoining localities. Councillor W. J. Thompson observed that it had not been pointed out that the tramway would lose £I2OO a year through this cheme, which was the reason it had been turned down pre--1 viously. He moved that consideration of the matter should be deferred till all the councillors had visited all the portions of the distriot concerned and gone over the different routes, whioh at present had been gone over only by members of the tramways committee. Councillor O. H. Chapman seconded this amendment. Councillors J. Aston! and B. G. H. Bum desired to see the committee’s recommendation adopted forthwith. Councillor A. L. Monteith favoured the amendment. He doubted if the present scheme would serve a majority of the residents of ■the district. Councillor J. Bums said he would not oppose the motion, hut was at the same time desirous of seeing a start made with a bigger scheme for connecting the district with Courtenay place by a decent service. Councillor W. H. Bennett favoured the committee’s recommendation on the ground that it represented the first instalment of a larger scheme to connect Hataitai with the_ city. Councillors M. Luokie and G., Mitchell favoured the recommendation of the committee.

The recommendation of the committee was adopted.