TRAMWAY EXTENSIONS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 16681, 2 March 1920, Page 3

TRAMWAY EXTENSIONS.

LARGE DEPUTATION FROM VOGELTOWN. URGES CLAIMS OP DISTRICT UPON BOROUGH COUNCIL. e A large and representative- deputation consisting.of between 40 and 50 ratepayers and "residents of the Vogeltown district waited on the Borough Council on Monday night and presented a petition urging that when any loan proposals were submitted to the ratepayers for tramway extensions that the Vogeltown extensions should be included in the loan schedule. Mr; C. Carter, who acted as spokesman, said the signatures were not all ratepayers, ’the object rather had been to show the number of inhabitants in the district that would he served by tramway extensions to Vogeltown. It was understood that tho extension to Vogeltown would bo by way of Liardct Street, Gilbert Street, and through Ptkekura Park or. to the Carrington Rond, and therefore in addition to Vogeltown residents signatures had been obtained from people residing in Fillis, Lemon, Leach, and Pendarves Streets as far as Cover Street because tlc-y would bo likely to patronise the service. Tho petition disclosed great unanimity of residents in Die area canvasser], The total number of residents was approximately 1012. In addition, the number of pupils attending the Central School and the Technical College on five days a week was SJO, many >of whom would patronise tho trams. He had been informed that day that the average number of caller? at tho municipal offices daily was 150. and many of theso too would support *hc trams whilst it would h.- difficult to estimate the number of visitors to the Park itself who would avail themselves of tho service. However, apart from visitors to tho Park, one-fifth of the population of New Plymouth was within the area of the proposed extension and that in itself was tho strongest argument that _ could be used for urging that extension, because it was numbers that told in connection with rny tramway sjervico. , The petitioners were specific in their claim that when a poll was taken for tramway extensions Vogeltown should be included in the schedule. When proposals were first put forward in connection with the tramway scheme a promise was made that V ogeltown and Westown would be considered together when extensions were contemplated and Vogeltown residents were extremely anxious when matters were coming so near to a head in connection with tho extension to one suburb that proposals for extensions _to their suburb also should be submited to the ratepayers at the same time. The deputation was not asking the council to defer the poll in connection with the proposals for another suburb but merely to facilitate to the greatest degree the information being available io enable the two extensions •to be voted upon at the same _ time. They understood that -the council was .prepared to recommend the expenditure of £22,000 for extensions to Westown and considered that in all fairness they: had a claim on the council for an expenditure of a similar amount —the distance to be served in each district being about equal—on extension to Vogeltown and failing that to a fair share of tho expenditure of the £22,000. Mr. Carter reminded the council that the section to the Park would probably bo the best patronised stretch of line in connection with the whole system and a paying line from the commencement. The estimated cost of carrying the line a further mile would be about £14,000 and there were between 600 and 700 residents in Vogeltown who would help share the burden of any loss. Again the deputation would stress the point that the council should also look at the extension as the first step in what would be a very important circular route via, Vogeltown and down Avenue Road to Devon Street. It may be a little ahead of the times just now but such an extension would most certainly come later. There was a tremendous amount of land in that most suitable and desirable for residential purposes, and which would ultimately act as a tremendous feeder to the tram service. The residents of Vdgoltown recognised that any loss on 'a isystenj had to be borne by thp ■hjbpjb of the’ratepayers. They had b,eeii doing, thdjr part in connection >itß the existing Sei-tice and not one of them begrudged having had to pay a rate, but tffiey wore in deadly earnest about the matter, as they felt‘that the w4s tjje, penological moment end that .if ,ths ofteptas# to Vogehpwn was.' and carried now it be k long bpljofe it would (have"'a tram service jn view of the .many other matters' the boreggh hqd in,hSIS. .Their claim should be considered side - by side with any other and they would meet emphatically urge the council to give sympathetic attention to the proposals submitted. Mr. Newton King endorsed the remarks of Mr. Carter and urged that all thinking men would agree that this line, especially seeing that it would serve the Park, should be made as early as possible. Mr. G. W. Browne mentioned that Saxton’s property was shortly being subdivided and that this would mean a big increase in the population of Vogeltown. Mr. C. E. BelWnger said it must be conceded that Vogeltown had a just claim for consideration in any extension scheme put forward. They would have to help carry the burden of ex:tentiona to any suburb and it was only fair and just that they should share in some of the privileges. The area of land available for building purposes in the area was equal to anything to be found in any other part of the borough. The Mayor expressed pleasure at seeing such a large deputation which he said betokened a very -live interest in the affairs of the district. In regard to the matter of tramway extensions ho thought the deputation was under some misapprehension. The council’s resolution to proceed with the estimates for the extension of the trams to Westown was passed with a proviso that when the work was finished the estimates for the Vogletown extension should be got' out. At that time too there was difference of opinion as to the route of any extension to Vogeltown. The plans for the Westown extension had only been in the hands of the council five or six weeks and there were numerous matters, to attend to before a poll could be taken. He presumed it would take just as long to prepare plans and estimates for the Vogeltown extension and they would have the same preliminaries to go through, so that if Vogeltown was to be included in the first poll for extensions it would inevitably defer the introduction of trams to Westown for some considerable time.. However the council would jsiye the mttewia Eosssdfiiatisju ,

Mr. Carter reiterated the intention of the Vogeltown residents to insist on being included in tramway extension proposals submitted to ratepayers. He said a delay of six months to a line that had been waiting several years could not ba very serious, and if the council’s estimate of a loss of £I7OO on the first year’s running of the extended service was right there- would bo a saving of £BSO by delaying for that time. He thanked the conucii for the patient hearing accorded tho deputation. The deputation then withdrew and later the council decided to discuss the whole question on Monday.