THE TRAMWAYS.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19150, 5 November 1927, Page 20

THE TRAMWAYS.

FUTURE NEEDS DISCUSSED.

POLICY OF CITIZENS' ASSOCIATION. Close examination was given to tho various points in the tramway policy of the Citizens' Association at a meeting held last evening under its auspices in the Chamber of Commerce Hall. Members of local Burgesses' Associations joined in the discussion. Mr W. J. Sim presided over an attendance of**43. Mr Sim said the Association had veritably taken a, new lease of life, and it desired, not only to educate public opinion, but to be educated. That was the reason for the invitation to members of the Burgesses' Associations. They hoped to have criticism, and finally show that the Association's policy was tho best for the town. "We invite you members of the Burgesses' Associations to express your opinions, - ' fcaid Mr Sim. Mr J. A. Flesher said that his term of service on tho Board was second only to that of Mr Booth. The forthcoming Tramway Board election was the most important in its history. Nobody would gainsay that the trams of Christchurch had been well managed right clown the yea is-. "Tho tramway business is a big one; there is £1.300,000 sunk in the trams,'' said 31r Flesher. "Of this £1,074,150 is borrowed money; the rest has come out of revenue." The system was in good running order —a splendid asset. The reserves amounted to £500,000. In the last few years £122,000 had been withdrawn from the depreciation fund. Mr Flesher gave details of the Board's loans. Revenue last year was sufficient to meet all obligations and leave a surplus of £I3OO. Originally 4 per cent, was set aside for depreciation and renewal. Compared with 1914 tho cost of running had increased by from (X) to 70 per cent. It •was necessary that those who managed tho trams should approach the problem in a businesslike way, and it was the duty of the Board to run them at the lowest possible cost. It should be its policy to charge fares sufficient to cover the running costs.

Special Qualifications for Board. Mr W. Hayward said ho could not dive into figures like Mr Flesher. Any individual standing for public office fchoukl have special qualifications to enable him to fill the bill. It was quite wrong to think that anybody would do. The speaker had been engaged in transport business practically all his life. Beloro . a man put up for th»» Board, he should bo a solid business man. Then he should have the time to give the business of the body for which he was standing careful, detailed attention, (hie of those standing on the other side was an M.P. who held an important position in the City Council, and had other responsibilities. In the tweaker's opinion this man was (standing to keep somebody else out. There should be an examination of tho number of attendances of such a man at meetings. He had nothing but admiration for past Tramway Boards. They had been composed of far-seeing men, but there room for new | blood. Tho individual who used tho trams should certainly pay for his ride. The suggestion of a rate was iniquitous and wrong. Probably '9O per cent, of 'the rate would come from the main fctreete of the City. Mr A. S. Taylor said ho was also against a rate. He did not agree 'with' the policy of making a profit from such departments as tramways in relief of rates. - Striking at' rate would lend to carelessness in administration.; Mr J/ Longton (Sumner) said the , tramway service was of benefit to others in addition to frequent users. In supporting a rate he said there were sec-: tions of tho ncoplo in the centre of the' City who did not uso the trams at all. They received a considerable benefit, yet paid nothing towards the upkeep of tho tramways. A small fixed rate would help in the running of the system, and would enablo the Board to shade fares \ / just a little, which migh*.. through increased business, obviate, th* necessity for a rate. Mr Sim said they were almost unanimous that a rate was undesirable. Mr G. T. Booth asked,if it was desirable that the people of a given locality should bo prepared to shoulder a loss on their section in order to retain the service. _ Mr Longton said such people should either pay a rate or lose the service.

Concession Bates. Mr E. H. Andrews said one question was whether the Tramway Board should carry passengers on concession tickets at a loss. One of the restrictions they were up against was that which confined their use to the holder only. They should look at the result if the, sale of concession tiokets was pushed. Then if they were not being sold at a loss, the decrease in sales of cash fares would not matter. It was only by the closest investigation that they could ascertain the effect of increasing the sale of concession tickets. Personally he believed in them, but he was against their sale at >a.'loss, ■ The* short <lis-

tanoo cash passenger paid: for a fcoSdi! deal of the loss: dn'longer''runs. 'lt' .might be necessary to alter the sections, and raise the price of concession j tickets. He would like to see a close investigation of the cost of mainten- j ance and of running the repair shop. (Applause.) Mr Flesher said he was in favour of tho removal of the restriction on the use of concession tiokets, and of their 6ale by conductors. Thousands of tram-users would appreciate such an innovation. Mr D. F. Oldridge (Redcliffs Burgesses' Association) said in Redcliffs a 9s concession ticket and cash fares worked out at exactly the same figure. ■Was that not ridiculous? They were : not grousing about Ithe cost. Mr Flesher said tho cash fare was too 10w..' -V r * ;,- : - j Mr Longton < said ; the :people:in< Sumner and New Brighton - would' sooner have the restrictions-than the increased fares which would result from their removal.

Mr Flesher, speaking with reference to penny sections, said people could not be carried at Id per mile, as it cost 1 l-5d to carry a person this distance. Mr Flesher gave the. boundaries of the proposed penny fares area. Mr A. A. Cornelius (Richmond Burpesses' Association) asked whether all the sections were a mile in length. Mr Flesher: As near as possible. Mr Cornelius said the sections differed in length, and should! be made tiie same.

Mr R. B Dalley (United Burgesses' Association) said the Wellington system should be adopted in regard to .long-distance fares. Mr Flesher's suggestion of overlapping sections might catch the unthinking, but it would be unworkable Many country people walked between the railway station nnd the Clock Tower because the cost of travelling by tram was 2d. / Mr Flesher said the country people's jnterestg should not be considered above those of all the City people. «lint they wanted was a system which would have a fair general "application.

Comparison With Other Cities. Mr Stewart (Richmond) asked why penny sections could be made to pay in Auckland and Dunediu: Mr Taylor said they were in such a ftate in Aueklaud that they were trying anything,' including the cutting >nto two of sections. Dunedin coujd J°t he compared with Christchuich. as the bulk of population was within three sections. Wellington trams also took a vast, proportion of the revenue from the first"'two sections. The svstem there which Mr Dalley had eulo-

gised was }n practice only in America, outside of New Zealand, and Wellington would like to gat rid of it. Railway traffic in Christchurch had been given a thorough try-out in the past, and had proved .a great financial failure. 1 , -;■ Messrs W. 'Williamson and Booth gave support to -.the proposal that regular trips at- excursion fares should bei run to the seaside resorts. - Mr Booth said he would have liked' to have seen larger reserves set aside than the .Board was able to do at present or would be able to in future.? Mr Williamson jsald that a thorough investigation of running and overhead costs might be profitable. Mr N. Johansen (Burwood) asked what the Board intended doing with the No. 10 line.

Mr Sim said the Association had! given no special attention to the matter.

Mr Flesher, giving his personal view, said lie was 6_trongly in favour of people in the north-east of the City having direct access to the sea. In reply to Mr Cornelius, Mr Taylor said administrative costs in the Christchurch system were the lowest in New Zealand, and the increase in the higher salaries had not kept pace with other increasing costs. He had often felt the Board was niggardly in this department. Mr Longton said the speed of the trains was not sufficiently high. Mr Flesher: It ; is governed by Order-in-Council. Mr Longton said it could easily be altered. Savings would be effected if speeding up took place. Mr Taylor said the trams , ran a little less speedily than the Board would like. It was exceedingly difficult to got the Public Works' Department to move.

Mr Longton said the trams did not travel even up to the limit allowed. Mr Sim said "tramway management had been shown to be an extremely technical matter;- : ''The, curse of Chtistchurch is its civic apatlvy" he said. They were not embarking on ft light frolic but'a grim job. "We are going to make war on the rivic apathy of this town/' he'concluded.