The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 1912.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXX, Issue 3466, 5 March 1912, Page 4

The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 1912.

Perhaps a definite announcement may

The Tramways Venture.

be forthcoming at to-night’s meeting of the Town Council as

to the exact position of affairs with reference to the passenger tramways scheme. It is of course perfectly true that the ratepayers are not altogether in the dark in connection with the matter. They know, for instance, that a good deal of money has already been expended in furtherance of the proposal. For months the rails have been on hand; for months negotiations have been in progress for the delivery of two cars from the United States. It has been made clear to them, also, that for a start only four miles of line (not seven as was originally authorised) will be put ’down: and that- for a start only the two Edison cars on order (which are a type of car that has yet to satisfy the engineering world that it is all that is claimed for it) will be tried. But what the ratepayers do not know, and would certainly like to know, is when a start is likely to be made with the work of laying down the rails; and when the town is likely to have an adequate tramways service. While upon the same subject the civic authorities would be conferring a favor upon the ratepayers if they were to add the cost incurred to date under the scheme, and further the extra amount which will probably he required before it is completed. As to the delay it will doubtless he attributed to the non-ap-pearance of the Order-in-Couucil, approving of the scheme. For our own part we must continue to hold that it was an ill-starred venture from the start. How different things might have been! It is certain, we should say, that had more consideration been given in the first place to the proposal to instal tramways, this town would not have been in such an unhappy position in this regard at the present time. Though many tramway engineers may have condemned the petrol system which was at first proposed, could one have been found in the whole of the Colonies who would have suggested that Gisborne should try the Edison storage battery system ? We do not know of one. In this connection it will have been noted that all the talk about Palmerston North and Timaru following Gisborne’s example has quite died away. Palmerston North, for example, may he expected to approve the overhead system in the course of a few weeks. This, it will he recalled, is what Invercargill did after the merits and de-merits of the rival systems had been freely discussed. What the people of Palmerston North will have to go upon, it should be mentioned, is a report by Mr F. Black, who is a noted tramways authority. His opinion, it will he seen, is similar in effect to that of other New Zealand tramway engineers which we have on different occasions in the past quoted. “For the six cars required to run the proposed Palmerston North service,” lie says, “the excess cost of the storage battery over the trolley cars would he an amount sufficient almost to provide the heavier rails, overhead work and larger generating plant needed for the trolley system. Newly-devel-oped plant should be regarded as the exclusive province of capitalists prepared to spend money freely in overcoming the defects revealed by practical working, and willing to face the loss of their investment if unsuccessful ; in my opinion it should be left alone by municipal authorities, and particularly by those situated thousands of miles from the makers’ works until perfected and proved to he reliable beyond

X cannot recommend tha any d° u ; ' , battery car system.” adoption o . £ Gisborne in the i. -t an enviable matter o EdisoU system is to lie olie '. in one would imagine that persisted > c tried the cheaper the S "Vi„ the long run. With ’» "° UI ( view, then the Council t S ,rt up and doing. But even if Se Government at once approve the h , tl.tv Question arises as to whetteHt -B P ! udent t A l di , BtU ! b Gladstone road at this tr.ne o ic 'em - '' be a f - rh on lv two cars—what- then r course \ se^jr)S . would not lie suffiTlm rails, ■ t}je over j lC ad system, ciently iea should think, that Tt 15 TtlS stlge it vould be most profitabh for the Council to get further Metcalfe was appaiem.;. X a - submit a report on the queJion of tramways as a whole foi/anvthing further is done. _