MUNICIPAL TRAMS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XL, Issue 13230, 12 November 1913, Page 9

MUNICIPAL TRAMS.

AND MOTOR 'BUS SERVICE

"That it be a recommendation to this Council when formulating further loan proposals for consideration by the ratepayers and burgesses of Gisborne, that estimates be given to equip the Borough of Gisborne (greater Gisoorne), Kaiti, and. Whataupoko, with a motor 'bus service, providing at tho same time extra 'busses for holiday purposes, to be run m conjunction, with the present tram service, after completing the Stanley road tram section." The above motion was moved by Or Hill at last evening's meeting of the Borough Council. He said it was a matter of much, importance to the Borough, and he had been going into the subjectto see whether the tramway was being interfered with by taxi-cars. It seemed to him that the tram service was going to be Mlled unless it was extended. Proceeding, he referred to the remunerative business of the taxi and motor 'bus services, declaring that the motor 'bus was "wearing the tail" off the roads, and only paying a fee of £1 per annum. He thought if a reasonable proposal was put before the public, with a view to augmenting the tram service by motor 'busses, it would be carried. He contended that the Council should keep its faith with the ratepayer's, and that the tram service should be extended to Stanley road, and that half the rails should be sold, so that the money could be put into an extension of the trams, augmented by motor 'busses. He urged that unless this was done their tram service would be non est m a twelvemonth. Cr Hill proceeded to quote newspaper extracts on the subject of the ' growth of motor 'bus services. Trams, [he declared, were becoming out of date, and motor 'busses could, be run for Is per mile. The motion was seconded by Or Wildish, pro forma. — Or -Smith thought the motion should stand over until the loan proposals were brought forwalrd. — Cr Wildish declared that he would vote for trams every time as against motor 'busses, m view of the Council's pledge and the state of the roads. — Cr Collins said every Councillor recognised the importance of the matter and of competition of motor 'bus traffic. They all knew, however, that tbe Council was pledged to a trai ■■' service, which they must try to .carry , /.it m its entirety, but this did not preclude the Council j at a later date considering the very im- 1 portant matter brought forward. — Qr j Smith moved as an amendment that the! resolution should stand down until thei Council come to consider loan pro- j posals. — Cr Hill said he desired tho motion as a record to bo kept before J the Council, and he agreed to accept Cr Smith's amendment, which was: carried. |