Extract from the offic al minutes of the Ratepayers' \nnual Meeting held on the 10th of March, 1898, Mr. Burkill—T have to provose—Resolution X.—That the Council be and is hereby authorised to consider the expediency of the establishment of a aystem of tramways in the streets of the Settlement and in its cretion ta formal te " scheme for ratification by the Ratepay-rs by which the system be carried into effect.
Your Council has been approached by the representatives of various Syndicates formed for the construction of tramways, with schemes for thy working of Tram: ways in the Settlements on the overhead trolley system. We decided that it would be a waste of time to take into consideration any proposals until we had Gist ascertained the Ratepayers' opinion as to the desirability of introducing tramways into the Settlement. If you decide that the time has now come to take this stop, the resolution before you will give the incoming Council authority first to consider whether the Council will construct and work its own tramways. or whether it will recommend the granting of a franchise for a number of yeara to x construction Com: pany or Syndicate, and further if a franchise be decided on, xn_authority to choose the scheme which offers the best inducements and the best safeguards, Mr. Prentice—I beg to second that, Mr. Morrison—It is hardly necessary for me to say anything in favour of tram ways in this Settlement. 'Two years ago I brought forward a motion and' it. was the 10u8 opinion that the local con-sot the place were utterly opposed to the possibility of having tramways here, and that the crowded condition of the streets was such that we could not make room for it. I may therefore take it for granted now two yours have passed that they xrvall of opinion that the place is well suited for tramways and thst the only way of dealing with the congested state of the streets is to put tramcars upon them (Inughter), Iam strongly in favour of tramways to-day and no doubt the Chairman of the Council has done well to withdraw the word electric" from this motion so as to leave himself free, although I have no doubt that the system which would be found most satisfactory is the electric system, and that unless you go in for an_ elevated road there ix only one practical system, which is the trolley system, We have all seen the proposal circulated by one of the companies and although of course we don't propose to tie the hands of the Council at all, still I think some of their propouls are extremely reasonable, and it may be satisfactory to the Council to know that some of us consider it would be much better for the Council to employ an outside company than to consider the construction of tram: says themsel-s, (Hear, hear.) The place is rather too small for the Council to havea first-class staff for the management of euch work and unless they have that, so far from getting a profit on the running we shall probably run the tramways ata loas. The tramways being our own we shall be obliged to go on running them and instead of the Municipality gaining we shall lose money. And further than that for this extra undertaking we should have to borrow money while borrowing may he necessary for important matter which should come first. Idon't think there is anything tionable in any company asking for franchise for a considerable number of years provided they give an undertaking that they will sell the undertaking to the Municipality on reasonable terms after a reasonable time. And I think in making terms with any company or with an; syndicate clause should be introduc that the Municipality should have the
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