INVERCARGILL PROPOSED TRAMWAY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2929, 4 May 1910, Page 41

INVERCARGILL PROPOSED TRAMWAY.

INVEECAKGILL, May 1. The borough of Invercargill has during the past fortnight or so been rather excited oveT the proposal to take the first step in a scheme of proceeding with the tramways on the electric overhead trolley system by making the appointment of a consulting engineer and manager at £IOOO a year for three years. It is now some months since a loan of £75,000 was sanctioned for the tramways, and at the time it was generally agreed that the electric system was the most suitable. In consequence, however, of the reports concerning the Edison storage battery, it was felt that this might be an alternative to the overhead system, should inquiries satisfy those in charge of the matter that it was satisfactory., A tramways committee was appointed to, amongst other things, investigate and make a decision on the matter, and after considering it for some months (including the possibility of getting a cheap hydro electric supply locally) the committee decided on the overhead electric trolley system. The next step was to invite applications for an engineer. This step brought forth from the newspapers and a section of the ratepayers a- sudden call for a halt and further consideration of the matter —in short, more delay. When the tramways committee explained on what evidence and advice it had based its decisions, there was a considerable abatement in the protest. Some of the party which had raised the trouble, however, still clung to the leading card in its hand —that the Purrey steam tram system was a cheap and efficient system—and."quoted the adoption of this system by Bockhampton (Queensland). - There was, too, some doubt concerning the sources from which the tramways committee had received its advice. Consequently the receipt a couple of days ago of news that the car service in Tfcockhamoton had been suspended, and had not from its inception baen satisfactory, has vindicated the judgment of the tramways committee, and of the advice on which that judgment was based.