DUNEDIN CITY 'TRAMWAYS COMPANY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2292, 3 February 1898, Page 24

DUNEDIN CITY 'TRAMWAYS COMPANY.

The annual meeting of the Dunedin City and Suburban Tramways Company (Limited) was held in the Chamber of Commerce on the 26$h ult. and attended by 15 shareholders. Mr Goorge Fenwick, chairman of directors, presided.

The Chaibman, in moving the adoption of the report and balance sheet, said : You will see from the report thafc there has been a great change for the better in the company's buainpss. The net result of the operations of 1896 was a loss, after providing for interest, of £174-5 12* Bd. Lus-, year the loss for the year wis reduced to £236 16», and bad it nob been for the high pries at which feed remained throughout the year there would have been a profit. The large increase in the revenue of the company on all its principal routes is due partly to the successful way in which the strong competHioa of drr-gs and cabs has been met, and partly ti changes of methods of running and increased facilities for travelling which have been given to the public. These matters, anel the fscb that the company has succeeded in getting together a vastly improved and serviceable lot of horses, have been recognised by the public, and the traffic has sbeadily increased, and, I am pleaseel to be able to say, continues to do bo. From the company's point of view it is to be regretted that there is lifcUe prospects of feed being procurable during the year on which we hava entered at rates under these paid last year. We have some warrant for believing, however, thafc under changes which have been made in the management of the etables there wiil be savings effected wlvch will tell to an appreciable extent on the outlay in this particular bnneh of the running expenses. The directors of course recognise thab while the prospects are very much better than they havebeen fora considerable time past, the SUCC2FS of the company caunofc be ae&ured under the present haulsge system. The fluctuating cost of ff ed, the dtpre ciation in hors^H^sb, and the inability to cope with an increasing braffic with horse haulage all point to the necessity of changing to a mechanical power as soon as practicable. It was therefore very disappointing to the directors that the negotiations entered into with Mr Max Epstein in the curly part of last year, and subsequently with the Otago SyneJicate, for the purpose of effecting this c*me to nothiDg. Shareholders will remember thafc Mr Bp3teiu had a good deal of correspondence wibh the corporation in his endeavour to obtain from that body concessions sufficiently liberal to warrant him in bringing his proposals for the substitution c-f electrical traction to a hf?d. He was unsble to obtain concessions which he con&idered essential to his Mtcces'S, and therefore abandoned his negotiations with

the council and the company. Immediattly thereafter Captain Cradock, representing the Otago Syudicate, entered into negotiations wifch the company for the acquirement of bh9 properby, and with the City Council for concessions that would warrant the syndicate finding the necessary c^-pitaltolay down a gas traction plmt, the use of gas as a motive power having been succe=sfu!ly demonstrated in Germany and England. The negotiations wifch the City Council exbended into May, and Captain Cradock was thed written to by the company urging him to bring these to a head. 'He failed to g<*t such conditions agreed to by the council as would have warranted him in proceeding further ia the matter, and the proposed purchase therefore fell through. Ib will no doubt interest shareholders to know that during the course of a visib I made to the United States and Great Britain in July and August last year I made special v quities into tramway s.ffa.irs generally, and particularly into the various tracbion systems in vogue in both countries. Except in the very largr-st of the American citi-p, such as New York and Clrc&go, I found tLe overhead trolly syafcem almost invariably in use, and heard bub lsbtle of the evila which were co persi3'ently urged against its adoption in Dunedin. In some of the towns ib was in sole possessiou of the street ; in others there were mixed systems of overhead electric and -cable ; in, other towns overhead electric in some streets and horse trac'iou ia others. Everywhere I heard the overhead system spoken of rco3b favourably. I made free usaof the cars whenever I gob the oppor! unity, and fouud the system free from any obj e L .ion&ble features and in great favour. In a city such aa Dunedin I do not hesitate to say its introduction should be welcomed, if it is found to be the system most likely to suit the Tramway Company cr any c^pi-alisls with whom they may in the future negotiate for a sale of their property or a change of the haulage power. While ia England I made a special trip to B'ackpool, in Lancashire, to inspect the gas motors employed on a line between that town, Lytbam, and Sfc. Ann's. The rmmger of the company showed me great courtesy and attention, and g»vve me every facility for a thorough inepaetiou of the moors and cirs. He accompanied roe on a trip from Blackpool to the terminus of ihe line and baclr, and gave me a good c"eal of info niation that m«y prove of service to our company. I found the motor working smoothly and well, and there was but the faintest femell in the oar, aod this the result of some small defect which was, I understood, remed'e'3. The engine took the car — a doubledecker — up a grade r.lmovt idfuHcstl with that of Princes street. The ppsed was regulabftd and s f O}>pages of the cvr effected with greab ease, aud I consider thab the fucc ss of the gas motor from a purely working point of view was amply demonstrated. As to its economical results, I am not in possession of very definite information, for the reason thab the line is worked for the Bl°ckpool Tramway Company by tbe British Gas Tract'on Syndicate, the Bwuc-rs of the patent I had a eonvrrsation subsequently in London w'rth the secretary of tbis company, and bub for his be-ing called away suddenly to the Continent I should hive obtained spec : fie informition on this point. This I expect to receire by an eaily mail. I also went to Glasgow to see Sir William Arroll in order to make ing urits abonfc a new motor patented by Mr G. Johnston, an engineer associated with Sir William. I waa fortunate in meeting with Mr Jnhustou, whogave me a good deal of v.tlu*ble information on tramway traction. He was copfident that the moor of bis invention wculd prove of great value, bub st the end of a long conversation with me be said he would advise me to ciuusel the company with which I was conuec'.ed nob to hastily caake any change, as there were possibilities of an early improvement in electrical tramway traction of a most important character which would send the special system to which he referred at once to the front. lam in correspondence with him on the suVj >ct, ai>d if the development to which hs made reference takes plaf el shall be promptly adviss-.d of ib. It will ba gratifying to shareholders to know th'vb, as the result of an application made to the City CouQeil last Juue, the directors succeeded in obtaining an extension of Iho company's concessions, which xalaces ib on the sr.me footing as fcbe Mornhigton and Rostyn cable companies. The new concession provides for au^extenaion of tha agreement with (he corporation for 21 years from Ist September, 1896, and provision for a furt.be? term of 21 years in tLe event o? the corporation nob exercising their right of purchase. Among improvetnenbs thab hay« been effected since shareholders lasb mefc have been additions to the Caversham stables aud the duplication of the line at the St. Clair terminus. Whils the last-mentioned work will involve an increased charge for roadway maintenance, ib wns absolutely essential to the satisfactory workirg of the St. Clair traffic, especially at holiday times, and ib will prove ft greab convenience to the residents of the district. The greatly-increased traffic, to which I have already made reference, has taxed the efforts of the general manpger to use the rolling stock !to the best advantage. The want of a sufficient number of cars has bjen severely felt, and during holidays it has been impossible to carry tha wh' Its of tbe people who have crowded on to the cars. This ia a question which is now engaging the attention of the directors. I now ht% to move the adoption of the report and balanre sheet. Mr R. Watson said that it seemed to him the Tramway Company bad become a sorb of philanthropic institution, fo many year 3 had elapsed since the shareholders had received a dividend, and it was evident that until a change could bs effected in tha system of haulage success could not be locked for. Mr Mitchell spoke in eulogistic terms of the improved management,, and urged the extension of the line from the Ocean Beach terminus to Tahuna P.^rk. The Chairman ? aid thab this was a matter that had been more than once under consideration by the board. It, however, involved a considerable expenditure, and the increasing traffic made it almost a necessity to at once procure more cars. Money was required for these purposes, and the board were at present considering the best means of providing for the expenditure if resolved upon. i GENERAL. The retiring directors (Messrs Law and Brydonp) were re-elected, as also were the auditors (Messrs W. Brown and Co.). Complimentary votes were parsed to the manager and his st.sff and to the chairman, and the meatirjg then closed.

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