MIRAMAR TRAMS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 637, 14 October 1909, Page 3

MIRAMAR TRAMS.

-. Sir,—The. statement innde at tho hist meeting of the Jliramar Borough CouncilOiy tho Mayor, to the effect that the tramway revenue was improving, was one of those littlo items of news which the Mayor makes occasionally to boom the district. Generally, information re. trams is. hidden away in .committee, the losses arc so great and the outlook so bad that everyr thing possible lias been done since the inception ot .tfte .schcnic to. hide the ugly facts. from the 1 " ratepayers. It is time, however, that the losses were dragged out into the daylight, notwithstanding the desire of -land agents and- syndicatoi's to mako the. public beliovo that all is well.', ■ ■ . The following,shows last month's working:— SEATOUN LINE. • W.'k end'g. Revenue. Power ch'g's. Loss. September '.J&'.-b. d.'. .- £ s.d." £ -,s.' d.' i 15 13 11- 23 18 C •' ' Bii- 7 ' 8 ...' 17 15' 624 7:2 .B ll 8 15 ... 23 1!) 2- 24 13.0 1310 22 ...: 17- 310 24 - 7 2 . ,7:3 4'. . ' . MIEAMAE LINE! .' . W'k ■ end'g. -Hcvenu'e.. Power ch'g's. - Loss. ' September £s, d. £s. d. £s. d. ' .1 ... 16 17 6 37 11 3 '20 13 D 8 ,"...' 38 - 4 9 " 41' 8 6 - -3 .3 0 - 15 ... 40 12 10 42 19 S 2 6 8 "22 "..•. ;"2318"11 "■" '39 :5'10';" -15-6 11:- .' 194 G 5 . 2581 C ll' 64'' 4 G ' . The ■ loss,- £G4 4s. 6d„ does, not include .interest, sinking lund, .lighting, and other charges, 'l'he revenue, however,'-includes the receipts from' two race'meetings at Miramar, but still heavy losses have been incurred, "and yet "the Jlayor, because-in. one week'the loss on the Seatoun line'fell to"l3s. lOd./ and the Miramar line to i:2 Gs. Bd., talks as though everything in the garden is lovely. How disastrous the running of tho trams has been will bo seen from the fact that for tho year-, ending' March 31 tho x total revenue >vas only .£2BOO. The expenditure approximately should bo as under: City Council charges.... ... ' JE'3,690 ' Interest on loan .'••• — 1.575. ' Sinking fund ... ....- _... ... 350 Depreciation ... 1,000 Lighting track-.;. :,... ... ■■■. 300 Maintenance, repairs, casualties, . and contingencies unknown — JCG.9IS . ' The. loss, without providing for tho last 'important .item, is, £4115. Things have not improved since March 31, and it is no exaggeration. to say from a .business point of view that tho tramways aro costing us .£SOOO per annum. Yet the Mayor and councillors sit tight and do: nothing. They appear unwilling to, or incapable of, doing anything. We can go on for twenty years on present condition;, and the 'trams w'ill not pay.. Have not the ratepayers ■whoso, rates are so excessive now 60nie right to expect some action from .the Mayor,and councillojrs to terminate tho disastrous loss? A day of reckoning must come sooner- or later, even if ■it is postponed bwin;j-to. the: inaction, of **he council to such a tinio as tlio' lorgo landholders have sold their lands and pushed tho baby on to' someone else. In the meantime the above figures may be of interest to intending investors in Miramar and to our friends at the Hutt who are talking trams.—l am, etc., A. E. MABIN. October 9.

[Oh the above letter, being submitted to Mr. 1 C. Crawford, Mayor of Miramar, that .gentleman said that the statement he had made at the last meeting of the council was in reference to the feturns made up to September 15, which showed a very, great improvement—indeed, practically no running loss. The bad returns for the week ended September 22 wore caused by the stoppage of the football and hockey and. bad .'weather. Tho traffic on tho lines at present was. in every way . satisfactory,' .and there was 110.reason to suppose that, with the (Coming good weather, there would nbt bo a further improvement. The actual loss-shown by, the writer of the letter was anticipated at the the council arranged the rates in April' last, and a rate was struck to covcr it. Mr. Crawford said ho was not prepared at th? moment tfo discuss the figures, which are given ,to show tho alleged total loss, but, > necessary, he would make a. statement regarding them, at Thursday's meeting of .the council. Mr. Crawford added that, apart from ' the rate,, the council had the ,£3000"for sale of land as a guarantee against .loss.-, .This .land was bought by the council itself for the purposes of a sanitary depot.] • ' '