Southland Tramway Company.

Southland Times, Issue 5003, 13 August 1884, Page 2

Southland Tramway Company.

An adjourned general meeting of shareholders in this Company was held yesterday afteraooa in Sluaa's Theatre, and was attended by a bare quorum. Mr G-. Froggatt. Chairman of Directors, was elected to preside, and stated the business to be the consideration of a motion made at the previous meeting by Mr R. B. Williams, the debate on which was superseded by a moMon for adjournment. The motion was that the question of leasing the Company's lines and plant be held over for twelve months. The Secretary (Mr J. E. Hannah) read the opinion of the Company's solicitor with reference to the value of proxies. Proxies could not be used unless they had been in the hands of the Secretary for at least 48 hours before a meeting. If so lodged they were, in counsel's opinion, valid for adjourned meetings. — The Secretary stated that the proxies used at the previous meeting had been lodged with him four days in advance. The motion having been placed before the meeting, Mr John Kingsland moved as an amendment, seconded by Mr F. A. Stephens, that it be an instruction to the directors to lease the Company's lines, if they saw fit, to a suitable party for a period of from j one to three years. He was of opinion j that such a course, if it did not produce a profit, would at least save the Company I from a loss on their business such as they had experienced. He felt confident the venture would yet become a paying concern. Mr Kingsland pointed out that his motion did nob force the directors into leasing, but simply left them in a position to lease if they got a suitable offer. Mr Williams, while of opinion that leasing would yet be the best mode of working the lines, thought the proposal was premature. The loss on the year's transactions was very small when divided among the shareholders, and he urged that the present system of working should be tried for another year, when the lines vvould be completed. Toe ChairrnaD, in reply to Mr Kelly, said that the directors did not antioipate that the bank would forceluae on the Company if the present system were continued. The arrangement with the bank had still twelve months to run, and so far as he knew it was probable that the bank would then entertain fresh negotiations. The amendment was then put. There voted for it, 17 ; against, 9. On analysis of'the voting, it was found that the majority in numbers were in a minority as to number of shares held ; the number being 257 shares for, and 200 against, the amendment. The motion to shelve the question was declared carried, Mr Williams moved, seconded by Mr Sorman, that the attention of thedireotors be called to the necessity of running cars on Sundays at suitable hours. The mover added recommendations for a revision of the time-table, with a view to running more frequently and at a reduced speed. These portions he afterwards withdrew. Mr J. T. Marlin spoke in support of paitial running of cars on Sundays, if only to take people who lived in the suburbs to and from church. He also thought that the cars should run to later hours during the week— say every hour from 6to 10 p,m. Many persons desired to visit acquaintances in the suburb 3 , and vice versa, but with cars ceasing to run at 9 p.m. there was no inducement to use them. He knew that the idea of running the cars on Sunday did not find favor in certain quarters, but in his opinion the traffic had bscome a necessity. The Chairman said that his views on this subject were well known. If the motion was carried he would have to consider his position with reference to the Company, Mr J. Kingsland said that that was not the place to discuss the question of Sabbath making or Sabbath breaking. They were there to consider the matter as commercial men. The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. The Day of Rest was Heaven's antidotejfor labor, and he did not think the working man would ever degrade the Sabbath. To his mind there could be nothing more pleasing than to see a working man leading his children by the hand on Sunday afternoon through scenes from which they were debarred during the week, and if the running of the cars would facilitate euch enjoy* pjent h© would, e»y let %hrn hays it,

Mr Williams, in reply, expressed a bope that .the directors would use tbeir common sense in dealing with the subjecr. Th.©; : motion was then put and carried, and the meeting practically broke up. matter of providing town stables ;;was' introduced, but the Chairman said that the directonsjJbad reconsidered the subject, and were o^^inion that with, some alterations the Ipesent- stables at Waihopai would do in^the meantime.