TRAMWAY POLL

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LII, Issue 17132, 7 September 1926, Page 11

TRAMWAY POLL

(To the Editor of the Herald

Sir, Councillor Coleman., at last night's meeting, admitted the correctness of the accountant’s figures showing that Ihe trams are at present losing £5500 a year. Until lie and the -Mayor professed to doubt the engineer's opinion ihat a. further £25.000 would he required to replace the Gladstone road trank, hut they did not attempt to stale what the true tiguros would he. Whatever they are, they must util largely to the loss. Take, however, the present figuie of £5500. 'lbis would pay inter est upon a road loan of almost UJOO.GOO. Think of it ! T’or years wc have been firing out for good roads, and have been throwing away a sum sufficient to construct a number of good main roads. This is the serious feature of the wastage over- the tramways—that it absorbs the money which should be spent in that great necessity for Gishorm good roads. —Yours, etc., A ITS KR (IT TOADS.

(To tbc Editor of Uto Herald.l

Sir, —Tram supporters are rightly dissatisfied with our present lines, which serve barely half the town. Dow do they propose to extend them? Fiftyfive thousand pounds has already been sunk, and not a penny of that can ever come hack. Hatepaycrs of Gisborne' will .certainly refuse to throw away allot her £55,000 in extending the system. W'liat. then, is the .solution? Surely it is to abandon the present unsatistaKory system and let private enterprse have a chance to run ’leases to those localities where the population lives, and where 'buses will pay. The Tuts is succeeding all over the world—why should Gisborne iiiU give it a trial? —Your.,, elf.. COMMON SKN'SK.