THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES THURSDAY, JANUARY 10, 1901.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11937, 10 January 1901, Page 4

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES THURSDAY, JANUARY 10, 1901.

The question of the, municipalisation of the tramways is one of so much importance and interest to the ratepayers that it is reasonable to assume that they will respond in large numbers to-morrow night to the invitation of the mayor to meet in the Town Hall to consider the proposals of the corporation. ■ It may be assumed that the mayor will avail himself of the opportunity that will be presented Joy the meeting to explain fully to the public the steps that, have been taken by the council. As our correspondence columns have disclosed, an attempt has been made to show that the municipal authorities have committed an egregious blunder in ignoring the Waipori River as the sdurce of power for the generation of electricity for tramway traction purposes, and that tlioy have compromised themselves in the arrangements they are alleged to have made for the preparation for the conversion of the tramway system. Upon these points the mayor may be expected to speak with that authority which is derived from his position; and in that case he will probably be able to convince the citizens that the corporation has been misrepresented. In regard to the generation of electric power, the mayor and members of the City Council have up to the present, we believe, preserved an open mind.' It is perfectly true that the town clerk has, on behalf of the corporation, applied to the Warden's Court for certain water rights on the Taieri River and Lee Stream. But that step has been taken as a measure of protection of the interests of the citizens in the event of the council subsequently determining upon tne adoption of a power transmission scheme. It has not been settled that the electric energy shall be generated by water power. It is possible that the choice of the council may yet be in favour of a system of steam generation. A decision .upon that matter has rightly been deferred uutil the corporation shall have made full inquiry and received the information necessary to guide it to a sound conclusion, such as there will be no occasion in the future to regret. All that the council has resolved upon so far is to purchase the tramways at a certain price, and to supersede the system of horse haulage by one of electrical traction. The wisdom of the action of the council in entering into an agreement for the purchase from the City and Suburban Tramways Company of its property is, we take it, generally recognised. There can I'be as little doubt that the decision to introduce electricity as the svstem of traction is judicious. Electricity will be the motive power of the future. Its use will not be confined to tramways, but may even be extended to railways, the economy which attends its introduction giving it an advantage over steam that must tell in its favour in the case- of commercial undertakings. The superintendent of the electrical department of the Midland Railwav Company in England has recently calculated that the supersession of steam by the electric locomotive on that company's line from St. Pancras to Bedford would produce a saving of 1.922 pence per train mile. The citizens of Dunedin may have absolute iconfidence that the substitution for

horse haulage on the local tram lines of a system of traction that is an established success will be a great public boon, and there is every reason for believing that it will prove so profitable as to be of appreciable benefit in lightening the ratepayers' load of taxation. If there are those among the burgesses of the city who are sceptical about the financial aspect of the proposals it will be advisable that- they should not miss the chance which the meeting to-morrow night will afford them of voicing their doubts in the free discussion that will be permitted. The mayor and the councillors, who will be present, should be able to convince them, however, that their misgivings are groundless, and that the proposal of the corporation to borrow for the purpose of giving effect to its agreement to purchase the tramways and of converting the system of haulago is one that is in the best interests of the ratepayers.