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59
County Improvements,
(c) That the principle of treating London as a whole, and ot
systematically selecting improvements best calculated to provide relief to
the main thoroughfares, as advocated by a Select Committe of Parliament
of 1871, should at once be formulated by the London County Council in
a definite and comprehensive scheme for all future County improvements,
and upon which London should equally contribute upon rateable value.
Tramway Improvements.
(d) That in all thoroughfares in which tramways are or may be
constructed, a width of not less than 54 feet should be provided, and the
total cost of widening borne by the London County Council either out of
the tramways account or the county rate.
Local Improvements.
(e) That contributions to Local Authorities for local improvements
should be, as far as possible, on a uniform basis.
86.—The Conference having invited this Council's observations
on the resolutions was informed that this Council agreed with
the resolution (c) subject to the words " chargeable to the County
" Rate " being substituted for the words " and upon which London
" should equally contribute upon rateable value " ; that the Council
also agreed with the resolution (d) ; and that with regard to the
resolution (e) the Council was of opinion that provided the London
County Council undertook the improvements referred to in resolutions
(c) and (d) the local authorities should undertake local improvements.
Electrical
Traction on
Tramways.
87.—The work of re-constructing for electrical traction the
Westminster to Tooting line of tramways has been
completed and the new system was inaugurated by
H.R.H. the Prince of Wales on the 15th May, 1903.
The Council on several occasions called the attention of the
London County Council to the dilatory way in which the work
was being carried on and to the serious loss and inconvenience
thereby caused to ratepayers in this Borough, and the County
Council was urged to expedite matters by arranging for the employment
of at least double shifts of men. Attention was also
called to the danger axising from the method adopted of running
the tramcars on temporary lines. The County Council shortly
afterwards arranged for two shifts of men to be employed and took
precautions to reduce the inconvenience to the ordinary traffic
caused by the use of the temporary tramway tracks. The subsequent
progress of the work was much more satisfactory.