THE TRAMWAYS.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19160, 17 November 1927, Page 11

THE TRAMWAYS.

FARES AND FINANCE.

(Contributed by the Citizens' AssO' ciation.)

The first three sections, constituting the Inner area of the tramway system, produce the greater part of tramway revenue, for 85 per cent, of the passengers travel therein, the remaining 15 pp cent, coming from the comparatively sparsely populated outer area and distant suburbs. To increase the ordinary fare to these outlying districts is therefore not going to bring any appreciable addition - to revenue. Conversely, the ordinary fare should not be decreased to a ridiculously small figure below cost price, and inequitable in comparison with the ordinary fares in the closely populated area. Service to the outer areas constitutes the biggest drain upon the tramway resources, simply because these areas have not a sufficient population to pay their proportionate part of the cost. It must be remembered, however, that there are certain times and seasons when the city dweller needs little persuasion to take the trams to the seaside at New Brighton or Sumner, and from all points of view he should bo induced to do so. Particularly is this the case in summer and during the Christmas school holidays. With the advent of the Summer Time Act, and weather in keeping, the exodus to the seaside should be even greater this year than ever before. The days and time of day when, traffic is likely to be heavy and payable at an excursion rate can be pretty accurately judged, and the Association unhesitatingly supports a judicious arrangement of regular trips at excursion fares during the summer months. Such trips are a boon i to every householder and his family, and are indirectly profitable to the Tramway Board.

Reserve Funds. y. It seems almost superflous to state |y that a part of. the Association's policy a is that depreciation and other reserves it funds should be continued and conserved to meet renewal and other require>o ments inseparable from the exigencies a of an ageing system. However, this ™ question of reserves must be placed bew fore the public, for, strange to say, e there are people who say "Stop build--5 ing up reserves and reduce fares." We have shown in a previous article that fares cannot be reduced to "a mere song," but must at least be equal to 1_ cost per car mile. With regard to de- _, prociation and reserve funds, these are r admittedly sound policy in most busi- „ nesses, particularly where plant is of a e wasting nature. In a tramway system, t trams, overhead wires, rails, and tracks e are continually in need of repair, and, as times goes by, of replacementTracks in particular, in the last few years, by virtue of their having been a the best maintained part of the road or 0 street, _ have attracted every class of s traffic from pedestrians to the heaviest *' of motor-lorries, and are now in many 0 instances crying aloud for complete r.e----1 newal. Were it not that a substantial I reserve fund had been built up in past years, bitumen tracks such as are being « laid.down in Victoria street and Papaj nui road, and which promise to be of r a permanent'nature, could not be faced ' with anything else than trepidation. 5 It is to be noted that in the last three years £122,600 have been taken from • the Reserve Fund to meet such costs ■ as these. Furthermore, there are cer- ' tain annual interest charges to be met, 1 and in 1934 loans to the extent of 1 £796,900 will.mature, and have to be ; met. It is only by building up ado- j ' quate reserves that this can be done, for the Board's annual income from sources other than fares amounts to .only £II,OOO. Expenses since 1914 have increased 60 per cent, to 70. per cent., chiefly in the cost of material and wages. Ohristchurch, of all the systems in New Zealand, is in the happiest position with regard to its reserves, and the public may well.be grateful to the early members of the Board, who, with no precedent in front of them, fixed the Renewal Fund and the Depreciation Fund charges each at 2 per cent. Reserves amounting _to £330,000 still remain after large withdrawals in the last three yearß, amounting to the sum of £122,600. Building up reserve's is therefore not part of a miserly policy, but may be stated to be simply a proper business safeguard.

? Extensions and Boses. The final clause of the Association's « policy is that extensions to the tram- « \vay*system should be limited to double , tracks to the end. of the second secl tion and to the institution of bus ser- <■ vices to residential areas where warf ranted. As already indicated, the s biggest demand for service comes from the first two sections from Cathedral \ Square -A thicker population in this area means more movement and a greater need for transport to be made available almost on demand. At the' I present time long lines of single tracks in certain directions necessitate a I somewhat infrequent service in comparison with the better served areas. Double tracks to the end of the second i section will eventually provide a more frequent service over just that part of ', Ghnstchurch' where it will be most ! needed. The Association is not in fav--1 our at present of extending the system beyond its present capacity, or double tracks beyond the second section, because extensions of single tracks further than now laid down, or of double tracks further than' proposed are au unjustifiable gamble with public transport in its present state of flux. Large capital outlays would be involved, and since figures prove beyond contradiction that trams at the moment are cheaper to run than buses, transport authorities refuse to forecast the immediate future of either. The Citizens' Association, however, recognise that suburbs are as necessary to a citv as a city is to suburbs, and that with the growth of Christchurch public, transport must be provided to outer ' residential areas; Taking all things into consideration, a feeder system of buses will best serve this purpose. This policy has been initiated, and can be extended as need arises.

LABOUR CANDIDATES' ADDRESSES. In connexion with the forthcoming Tramway elections, members of the New Zealand Labour Party addressed a meeting of supporters at the corner of. Tuam street and Stanmorc road last evening. There was a fair attendance, Cr. T. H. Butterfield introducing the speakers, Crs. .R. M. Macfarlane and P. YV. Sharpe. Cr. Macfarlane said at the last election there had not been the same burning questions for consideration as there were at the coming election. The Labour Party had drawn up a programme in which it advocated the forming of a Metropolitan Board of Works. l£ could clearly be seen that there was a necessity for the amalgamation of many of the local bodies. The Burgesses' Association was in favour of such a Board, provided that outside local bodies had representation. An instance of dual control being inefficient was that of the Drainage Board and the City Council. The ratepayers had voted for the removal of the North Beach tramline, as it was not paying, but the Sumner line was just as bad. If he were elected he intended to go thoroughly into the question, as be believed that the line

could be made to pay.. The Tramway Board had failed to supply the people of North Beach with an efficient service, and that was another matter that would bo looked into. Another point at issue was that of concession cards. They should be more on th* lines of the Wellington cards, having 12 rides and being easier to secure"? He would also support the reversion to the Id section system within the shopping area. The introduction of the extra £d a s*:tion had caused a large number of people to stop' using the trams, and he considered that it should be abolished. Cr. Sharpe said the Citizens' Association claimed to represent the majority of the ratepayers in the City, but the figures at the last election would prove otherwise. When there was a Labour Council, there had been many improvements made in connexion with Council activities.. An instance of that was "the insurance policies of the Council, which had been taken out with outside companies. At the present time the Council was almost entirelv insured in the State Department, which was a great saving. There were other big improvements on what had been. With reference to tramfares, he considered that it was not fair that'a school-boy of 12 years fchould have to pay as much as an adult. If elected he would see that .the age was raised. The question of fares would have to be gone into very deeply. Regarding concession cards, he contended that they should be transferable, thus making them much more, convenient. He was not asking them to vote for him personally, but to vote for the whole of the ticket.

Replying to a question as to whether he was in favour 'of the one-man trams, Cr Sharpe said that if they made it better for the workers, and were economical, he was.