TRAMWAY REVENUE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 645, 23 October 1909, Page 10

TRAMWAY REVENUE.

CAUSES OF THE DECREASE,

:;, ,cmzENs husbanding toe pence.- . _ Speaking, .to ;'. a:/ representative of • The Dominion , yesterday as to: the decrease in tramway-revenue, as shown by the half-yearly report presented to the City Council on Thursday night,' his Worship,the Mayor (Dr. Newman) gave somo reasons for the decline, "It,- said his Worship, "that the six. months working. from'. March- 31 shows 'a .considerable falling away when compared with tho'figures for the-first half of the previous -financial year, but.this is not to ; bo wondered ;"?' ■■ Dr.: Newman went;-on -to say -that' two ■2 -fi £?" SD3 wWch.ledtotho. decrease'were&rstly the stringency ..-in tho monoy market during the past six', months; and secondly.;tho slackness of-worki-andtho consequent .generaleconomy which had- to bo, practised, by the peoplo who wero compqlled-to'carefully husband the ponce. . Instead of, boarding a car and talcing short rides, manyneople had found it necessary : to,. walk a considerable , distance, or to the .nearest section end; The .main falling off in rovonuo had beo'n -in Newtown, whore there was a largo population which felt the pinch severoly during tlio.;wintor:-months. Another 'contnbuting.xauseJof-ithOjvae'clino was.tha fact .that there had been no winter session of Par- i •liament which gathering generally attracted a considerable number-of peoplo to -tho city. Dr. Newman considers that.the prospects for . the ■' second half of Mho financial -year' -are brighter.. During September and October'the revenue, showed a marked improvement: and it had to ho borne in mind that the six months, from October 1 to March 31,- was a good period '..for the .trams because peoplo were tempted out of doors much moro in -fine weather. .'At. any time, of tho i.weather .was ..a great factor .in. improving- the tram revenue 'officers of the-Tramways Department l wero : making .strenuous'efforts to catch all tho traffic; anda number of -minor changes have, already been, and aro'still beings made which:mil considerably, incroase tho traffic. 'Two or'throe-extra cars had been put. on in the city. ,as : a result of tho im-, proving traffic, of the- last month or so, and ; there'seemed very little; doubt' that by the end of the financial year ,the tramway, revenue would be about as largo as it was at the,end of the'last financial year. ~,.■-.: ; "Tho.falling oft'in the revenue had nothing speoial abpnt it," concluded Dr. Newman, "it -was simply part of the general fall in revenue which had attacked tho Government and most of tho local-bodies. Tho fact that people had been compelled to economise was .proved by the figures in the report; which showed in tho six months, the trams had carried 100,000 fewer passengers than in tho previous.half-year.".