THE TRAMWAYS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16307, 23 December 1920, Page 10

THE TRAMWAYS.

A 'YEAR'S RECORD,

, The most important events hi tho history of the Christchurch tramways during the past year were the issue of a loan of £3(30,000 for extensions and the increased faros imposed. The Public Works Department notv is considering Orders-in-Counoil. dealing with ex-, tensions and with improvements, and tho New Year, probably, will see unusual activities in tramway affairs. The board has let a tender for tho erection of repair chops at a cost of £42.268. For its now workshops, in which it will build its own rolling stock, it will take under tho Public YVorks Act an area of four acres at the corner of Moorhouse Avenue and Fitzgerald Avenue. Jt has completed a trailer siding on the terminus on Lincoln Hoad. 'I racks on tho Stanmore Road and Bunvood lines were renewed, and special work was renewed in Cathedral Square and at the Bank of New Zealand corner. Hie board has considered improvements to track facilities for the races and'show traffic, and has discussed clearances at corners for convenience of vehicular traffic, but it is waiting for the co-operation of tho City Council on the last-named proposal. Changes were made-in stoppingplaces, in order to secure greater safety 'at cross-streets, and to relievo the congestion in the centre of tho city. A beginning was made with the erection ot an automatic sub-station at Cashmere, and ait order has been placed for two 3tO-kilowait automatic substatiois for the Pendalton and Riccarl«cas, r at a total cost of about ■-To,Out). The board ha? on order thirteen car bodies, ten trailer oar-bodies, , diirteeu radial-axle trailer trucks, ten electric car trucks, and sixteen fourmotor equipments. It let contracts for ■32.oo()_ sleepers, 850 poles, 1850 tons of rails. (000 copper bonds, eight miles of trolly wire, and T,o route-number boxes. Under the new scheme, tho routo numbers now are on revolving screens instead of on independent, metal discs. They now are larger and are better illuminated, and can lie more easily adjusted by the conductors. •ho board’s new offices, iu the south''aslcvn corner of Cathedral Square, winch were opened on November 1, arc a area I convenience to tho public. _. ma " "by of the board’s cni'loyocs are in the superannuation ’aTiemo, the lion’s share of which is y.itd by the board and the Government 'tempers joining the staff now have to , subscribe, to _ the fund. Eight employees over sixty years of ago "receive "I tfjmal pension of £1 a week- from tbe inid. During the year, the board made agreements with the Tramwav mniovccs Union, _ the Clerks’ and mien Emplovcpc Union, and the Tramway Officials’ Union, and the cost of bvmg bonuses were added to the rates ivages fixed. The Hon J. Barr, ■ ,• ’" BS elected chairman dur'“S . j’cnr, and Mr g. A. -'taplea was elected deputy.chairman!