The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED DAILY. FRIDAY, JANUARY 21, 1927. THE TRAMWAYS CONTROVERSY.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXV, Issue 10311, 21 January 1927, Page 4

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED DAILY. FRIDAY, JANUARY 21, 1927. THE TRAMWAYS CONTROVERSY.

Whatever decision the Magistrate may feel he is called upon to deliver in connection with the problem of the validity or invalidity of the re-taken tramways poll, it is plain that those opposed to the scrapping of the system intend to fight on to the last ditch. One of these “die hards” is our persistent correspondent- 1 Dummy Mate,” who is now busily engaged (arguing that, if it be found that the poll in question must stand, the “City Fathers” should be encouraged to linger over the matter of seeing to it that a more adequate system of transportation is made available. Nobody would, of course, suggest ithat, even if it were in the power of the authorities to (To so, the trams should lie taken off the streets before a better system were ready to take their place. It would, however, be equally ridiculous on their part to unduly delay in making the change over, if no obstacle stood in the way. On his part, “Dummy Mate” professes to know a lot a’Jout the activities of the authorities in relation to their enquiries with the object of producing a much better state of affairs. He should await the lodging with the “City Fathers”- of all proposals under that heading. As matters now stand, the Council can hardly do more than allow it to be known that, when they become legally entitled to do so, they will not lose any time in entering upon the consideration of the question of a new system. If the "City Fathers” at that time, do not speedily finalise suitable arrangements, it will, unquestionably, be the position that they will be disregarding a clear mandate from the ratepayers. The suggestion that the trains should be continued unil they scrap themselves should not, for a single moment, be seriously considered. What the “City Fathers” have to bear in mind is this : that the trams fail to give adequate service and that the Council owes a duty to the ratepayers as a whole to see to it that justice is done all round as for the future. In all the circumstances the Council will have no option but to ask the Government for the right to nominate a date on which the trams shall cease running, if the poll be held valid. Such a step is fully in accord with business-like principles. What an outcry there would be if the “City Fathers” took it upon themselves to abandon the trains before they had everything in readiness to provide another system! On the other hand, as we have pointed out, there would be nothing to gain, and maybe much to lose, if the Council displayed undue timidity in the matter of a change over. It is. of course, a mistake to suppose that the Tram-ites are growing in numbers, numerous as they proved amongst th?j ratepayers on the occasions of the polls that were taken. We believe that the happy results attendant upon the operations of the rapidly increasing numbers of ’bus systems in this Dominion are being strongly impressed ■on the minds of the people as a whole. The panicky measures 'which the Railways Department is taking to protect its interests from ’bus competition should, in itself, be convincing enough.