History this week
By Shammane Joseph
This instalment gives a brief overview of the History of the British Guiana Tramways. This article will examine the development of the first non-electric and electric tram-ways, and the reasons for their eventual closure.
The Georgetown Tramway Company Limited was a limited liability company incorporated under Ordinance 11 in 1877. This Ordinance enabled the company to lay and maintain certain tramways in and near Georgetown. The tramways were to be constructed and work well and not impede or injure the ordinary traffic of the streets; more over the trams were to be to the public’s advantage. The tramways were advantageous to the public because they were laid throughout the town, and the roads which ran alongside the tramways were repaired by the company. Moreover, the company brought in locomotive engines which were smokeless and noiseless, and carried both passengers and goods.
This joint stock company was formed by the following petitioners, John S Hills, George Stragen, Charles H Gilbert, Robert A George and Anderson Forshaw. The company was given the concession for the tramways for 21 years, after which its successes and failures would have been reviewed. According to the ordinance, “the George-town Tramway Company limited shall be a body corporate with perpetual succession during a term of 21 years”. The company began with a capital of $45,000, which was divided into 600 preferential shares at $50 each and 60 ordinary shares at $250 each. Shares could only be transferred by persons authorized by the board of directors of the company. No person was allowed to have shares valued more than $7,500 of the initial capital of the company, and if the capital increased not more than $15,000
In the first year of the company, the profits were distributed among the holders of preferential shares, until the holders of such shares had received a sum equal to 6% on the amount of their shares, and the remainder of the profits were distributed amongst the holders of the ordinary shares. In the second year, the preferential shareholders received 8% after which the remainder were distributed in the proportion of one fourth amongst the holders of the preferential shares and three fourths among the ordinary shareholders.
Meetings of the company were held in January and July each year. At the general meetings, the shareholders each had a vote for every such share held by him up to 20 shares, and an additional vote for every two of such shares beyond 20 and up to 30. The holders of the preferential shares had a vote for every five of such shares up to 50, and additional vote for every 10 of such shares beyond the first 50. At the last general meeting of the company two directors were required to retire, but they were eligible for re-election if qualified. Two thirds of the company shareholders had the power to decide by vote on the eligibility of the returning directors. The numbers of directors could have been seven or three. If the company had financial problems then the present and past shareholders of not more than one year away, were liable to contribute to the assets of the company to an amount sufficient for payment of debts and liabilities of the company.
The lines of the tramway extended from La Penitence Depot to the Demerara Railway Company Station; Post Office to Camp Street and from Stabroek Market up Croal Street to Vlissengen Road towards the D’Urban Race Course. The head office was located at Lot 134 La Penitence.
On weekdays, the tram cars commenced running on all the lines at 6 am and continued running until 9.20 pm; the last car left the railway station, Croal Street and Camp Street at 10.30 pm. On Saturdays, the Croal Street cars left the market at intervals of 15 minutes and after 12 pm the cars left the market every half hour and proceeded to Vlissengen Road when they left at 9.20 pm on weekdays and 10 pm on Saturdays. On Sundays, the tram cars ran from 9 am to 11 am and noon to 9 pm. There were two short breaks during this time frame.
Tickets were distributed to passengers by the conductors on the tramcars and cost four cents each or packets of six for a shilling. On Mondays, tickets were sold for $6 each and domestic servants paid $1 each. Children’s tickets had to be applied for at the head office of the company. The prices ranged from $1 – $6. Special arrangements for excursions, school tours and other occasions were allowed.
The Georgetown Tramway Company Limited, in its initial stage, was considered a plus for the population. However, it soon became a nightmare for passengers and directors of the company, owing to poor management, late arrival of tramcars, and constant breakdown of locomotives. This saw the shareholders losing profits from what should have been a lucrative investment. There-fore, after 21 years of service the Georgetown Tramway Company Limited’s assets were incorporated to a new company which promised to construct, maintain and operate electrical tramways throughout the city of Georgetown and its vicinity, in the hope of promoting the development of the city and its suburbs. The existing tramways and the lighting system of Georgetown were consolidated, which assisted in the more efficient and economical working of the Demerara Electric Company, and conduciveness to the public.
In 1899, under Ordinance 13 the Georgetown Tramway Company Limited was replaced by the Demerara Electric Company, a Canadian company based in Montreal, which launched the electric tramways in Georgetown on 25 February, 1901.The proprietors of the company were William Baylies Chapman, Financial Agent; John Hutchinson, Banker; Benjamin Franklin Pearson, Financial Agent; and Charles Hazlitt. According to the ordinance, the company had perpetual succession, without limited liability. It could have borrowed money from banks or other financiers, or even mortgage some of its assets. Moreover, the capital of this new company was $500,000, divided into 5,000 shares at $100 each, with power to increase the same to $850,000 upon the authority of the majority of the votes of the shareholders. By 1922, it had a capital of $425,000 and bond issues worth $500,000. However, the previous company had a capital of $45,000 and could only increase same by $20,000. The previous company could not own immovable properties, but this company could have “owned, purchased and possessed any immovable or movable properties which were deemed necessary and proper for the benefit and advantage of the said company”.
This new company saw to the upgrading of George-town’s tramway. It became an electric tramway that worked with the overload trolley system which had about 10 miles of line, with a 4ft 8ins gauge. The new company added 14 open electric trams which had eight benches. The new cars were numbered 1-14. In 1902 two more tramcars were added, and in 1909 another pair of cars were introduced which had nine benches. The cars were numbered 15-18 respectively. The company also extended the Electric Car Service to Peter’s Hall on the east bank of the Demerara River, a distance of four miles out of Georgetown. By 1922, the total tram lines were extended to 18 miles and the gauge increased by ½ inch. The company also installed a turbine engine at the company’s power station the same year in order to eliminate the effects of vibration.
The company’s three main termini were located at the seawall, Camp Street and at the Railway platform. The tram cars left these termini at 6.02 am every day except on Sundays, and 15 minutes thereafter until 10.17 pm. On Sundays the first-class car left the seawall terminal at 7.02 am and at every 15 minutes until 10.17 pm; there were approximately 5 different routes which were taken by the tram cars. They covered more areas in Georgetown than the previous tram cars.
Tickets were sold at 5 cents for a single fare by the conductor or from the company’s office in strips of three tickets for 12 cents. Books of 60 tickets were available at the company’s office at $2.40 per book.
This company also had its share of problems. As a result, in January 1930 the Demerara Electric Tramway was abandoned (29 years later). Twelve miles of the tramway lines were bought by Edward S Sills who found it necessary to provide a more satisfactory method for the transportation of fuel cut on his property.
The tramway lines were dug up and taken from Georgetown, some thirty miles south of the capital, for the transportation of wallaba wood for fuel and for other purposes. The balance was sold to a Japanese interest and the amount defrayed was more than enough to cover the total cost of the tramway.
