TRAMWAY EXTENSION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21146, 2 October 1930, Page 3

TRAMWAY EXTENSION.

LINE TO LOOKOUT POINT. DEPUTATION TO CITY COUNCIL. Urging that a promise to extend the Caversham tram line to Lookout Point should be honoured, a large deputation, representing ratepayers of the district, waited on the City Council at its meeting last night. The speakers were Hr J. Souness and the Rev. H. Daniel. Mr Souness stated that a poll of the ratepayers- had been taken on May 14, | 1924, in connection with the raising of a loan of £IOO,OOO for tramway works, one of which was the extension of the Caversham line to Lookout Point. It was not until May 31, 1928, that anything further had been heard of the matter. Cr Douglas had then said that the Train- : ways Committee had the matter in mind. ' A fortnight later it bad been reported | that the work could not be put, in hand j without an Order-in-Council, which could j not be obtained in less than three months. } Application had been made, but nothing further had been heard until n fortnight ago, when Cr Wilkinson had referred to the dust nuisance on the Valley road. If the tram line had been a good proposition in 1924 it should be doubly so now. If it were gone on with building over a large area would be stimulated, and there would be a consequent increase in rates. There was little room for exten. sion at Opoho, where nearly every new house had a garage. that could not be said of Caversham. In one street in Caversham there was room for 200 houses. The policy of the committee had been more one of procrastination than of progress. Did the council propose to honour its agreement? He failed to see how it could.'not, and he saw no reason why the lino should not pay. / Mr Daniel said that the provision of a bus had caused considerable disappointment because it had been felt that there might never be a tram service. The ratepayers were not surprised to hear that the bus service had not paid. They would have been more surprised to hear that it had paid. While the buses were being used passengers had to take two vehicles to travel a distance of two and a-hal£ miles. He did not think that any active person would do that. The need for a tram service would become more aotue as time went on, as there, was more room for building than in any other area in the city. The absence of a proper service was retarding the growth of the district. He knew of a case m which an attempt had been made to obtain finance to build a house at Lookout This had been refused on account of the isolation of the position, and the section was only three miles from the city. He understood that 100 new sections would shortly be opened up. Cr Tapley asked whether, in view ot the fact that buses had been funning practically empty, «he ratepayers were satisfied that a tram service would pay in the space of one or two years. Mr Daniel replied that he was quite satisfied that it would. After leaving the bus people had to wait sometimes tor 10 minutes for a .tram. The population was equal to that of most suburbs, and the possibilities were greater than m all Cr Shaoklock: Has the deputation any idea of what fare should be charged and whether any additional fare should be charged? - .. ~ , ,« Mr Daniel said that the question had not been considered, but it was not one which would weigh with the ratepayers. Cr Wilkinson asked whether the deputation had any idea of what the line would cost. It would be necessary to raise a loan cf £9OOO, on which interest and sinking fund to the extent of £6OO to £7OO a year would have to be found. It was a serious proposition as far as the members of the committee were concerned. , . j Mr Sonnesa said that the cost of the line had been mentioned in the loan schedule as £B6OO. The cost was only equal to the difference between the estimated and actual cost,of the installation of the new power generating plant. He did not look on the cost ae a big item. Cr Wilkinson had been a great advocate of the line. The speaker did not know why he had twisted round. Mr Souness went on to state that Cr Wilkinson'had been unfair in his references to the dust nuisance in the Valley road, but the Mayor ordered him to keep to his subject. The matter was referred to the Tramways Committee. Later in the meeting when the Tramways Committee's report was being considered the chairman (Cr Scott) said that the committee bad done all it could to meet the heeds of the district. The tramway returns had decreased, and the committee had to do all in its power to. make ends meet, and to keep fares down. Cr Wilkinson said that the committee should give the matter very serious consideration before committing itself to heavy expenditure. A councillor: You Will be getting offside with Caversham, Cr Wilkinson: I have been offside for some time. I think the committee should make haste slowly.