PRESIDENTS ADDRESS—SECTION H. (135 
street, and Bayswater-road should be reduced to 1 in 12, to 
make it easier for electric traction, an alteration which could 
at that time easily have been carried out. 
The Committee, however, decided in favour of the cable, 
being, I think, wrongly led to their conclusion by the fact that 
it had been decided to put down a cable line, and not an electric 
line, in the Broadway, New York. The real reason for the 
selection in the latter case was that the New York authorities 
would allow no overhead wires, and the cable system was the 
only alternative at that time. The Broadway line has recently 
been converted to an electric conduit system. 
As before mentioned, the George-street line did not at that 
time meet with approval. A new proposal to construct a tram- 
way along George and Harris streets was brought forward in 
1896, and the Parliamentary Committee, after careful con- 
sideration, resolved to recommend it. In September, 1896, an 
Act was passed authorising the construction. The line was 
designed to be worked with an overhead conductor, the cars 
being provided with trolly arm and wheel, for taking cur- 
rent. The estimate first submitted was £123,500, but this sum 
was added to later on so as to provide for an extension at the 
Circular Quay, and some additional lines near Redfern Station, 
and the total became £130,000. 
The scheme approved by Parliament included the provision of 
power for the tramway itself, estimated at £11,250. The plant 
proposed to be provided consisted of electric generators of a 
total of about 900 h.p., driven from the existing engines at 
the Rushcutter’s Bay cable power house by means of counter 
shafting, and two boilers were to be added, the whole being 
housed in the existing buildings at the same place. The 
current would be conveyed by underground feeders, and these 
and the return feeders were estimated to cost £7800. 
The traffic was to be worked by means of forty moior cars, 
estimated by Mr. Elwell to cost £500 each, or a total of £20,000, 
but to this sum I added before submitting to Parliament a 
further amount of £3200 for contingencies, making a total of 
£23,200 for rolling stock. 
Before any steps were taken to carry the work out a proposal 
to provide power for the whole tramway system of Sydney and 
North Shore, buildings to house the same, as well as a large car 
shed, came under the consideration of the Railway Commis- 
sioners and the Minister for Works. 
In January, 1897, it was decided to call for tenders for four 
sets of engines and generators of 800 k.w. each, making an 
aggregate capacity of 3200 k.w., or 4300 h.p. Twelve firms 
selected from different parts of the world were invited to tender. 
Several of these firms responded, the prices varying from 
£37,287 to £58,210. | 
