TRAMWAY LOAN PROPOSALS

Taranaki Daily News, 12 May 1930, Page 12

TRAMWAY LOAN PROPOSALS

SMALL MEETING AT MOTUROA.

SELF-HELP OF WESTOWN PEOPLE.

The proposals to raise £5500 to make additional tramway loops on the main route and £11,200 for the extension of the Westown line i . David Street to Wall; 'h Road were further explained at a meeting in the Mission Hall, Moturoa, on Saturday night. Six ratepayers at- , tended and Mr. L. Sutton presided. ! The arguments put- forward in favour of the T orks followed the lines of previous addresses. The Mayor (Mr. H. V. S. Griffiths) emphasised the point that the council was submit ig the proposals to a poll solely because it believed their adoption would be in the intersts of the ratepayers. When the poll was taken on Wednesday the two works would be separated, one voting paper being for the £5500 loan and the other for the £11,200 loan.

He believed the proposal to make certain duplications on the main line met with general approval. In fact, he had not heard one adverse criticism. He pointed out that this work was essential if the present service were to be speeded up, and particularly if the council economised by converting its cars to the oneman system. He recalled that the Westown loan proposal was for £9600 for extending the tram lines and £l6OO for widening the road and tar-sealing it. The council was unanimous that this work was the only way in which to stop the present losses being made owing to the bus and tram operating in the same area. Unless the proposal were carried it would be necessary to purchase an additional bus. He had never been in favour of stopping the Westown line at David Street and he was there that night to urge the ratepayers, by their votes on Wednesday, to rectify the mistake made eight years ago.

Mr. F. Amoore said he, too, was one of those who considered a mistake had been made in making the tram terminus at David Street. He thought the line from Devon Street to Pukekura Park should not have been laid. He had even hoard it advocated that the rails to the park should be pulled up for re-use, but upon making inquiries he found this was not feasible.

The ’Vestown people were helping themselves by giving the land for street widening and providing about half, the cost of a tram shelter. Therefore, he considered it vas the duty of the other ratepayers to help the people of the suburb by voting them the facility proposed. Though it were necessary to pledge rates as security for the loans, he did not believe it would ever be necessary to-col-lect them owing to the savings that would be effected as a result of both works. He lived in the centre of the town and, therefore he had no personal interest in the Westown extension, but he was prepared to give the residents there what was due to them. Already 125 houses would be rerved by the extension, and he believed that if the line were taken _pn other houses would soon be erected in the locality. So far as the main line proposals were concerned, he suggested an important point for consideration was the danger to traffic occasioned by the trams frequently “bu’ging out” on the present small loops. There was always a risk of motor-cars running into the trams as they changed their courses in this manner* If the extra rail duplications were made this danger would be eliminated. Referring to a su e gcstion made at one of the meetings that the reason the Westown extension was proposed was owing to the borough engineer living on the route, the Mayor said he considered such a statement was grossly unfair. The extension had been advocated eight years ago, long before Mr. Clarke came to New Plymouth. For street widening purposes Mr. Clarke was dedicating to the council, free of compensation, three-quarters of an acre along the front of his sections and, in addition, had undertaken to put the fences back at Lis own cost. He had also entered a bond t give the council 3 roods 8.5 perches for recreational purposes when his land was subdivided. This was a quarter of an acre more than he was required to dedicate for that purpose and it showed a com-, mendable spirit on his part. It wits most regrettable that the suggestion concerning Mr. Clarke had ever been made. The only reason the council was submitting the proposals'was that their adoption would mean a saving to,..the ratepayers. to Mr. Hobbs the Mayor said the western side of Weymouth ■Street was the wors point on the main line. The most desirabL solution of the difficulty would be to duplicate the lino from the Terminus Hotel to this point. However, loops in the two localities could be joined up later on. The engineer had said it would be difficult to obtain the sanction of the Public Works Depart-, meat to a duplication between the points mentioned until the street was widened. Mr. Griffiths told Mr. Burton that .even if a small loss were shown on working after the alterations to the line had been made he thought the council would decide it was not worth while to levy the rate. The rate was so small that he believed the loss, if any, would be carried is at present. A vote df thanks was accorded the Mayor and Mr. Amoore.