TRAMWAY RATES.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1487, 9 July 1912, Page 2

TRAMWAY RATES.

THE FEELING OF THE SI7BUBBS. A meeting of Miramar residents was held in tho Miramar Town Hall last night to discuss the proposed alteration iii tho tram fares. Mr. J.' Brodie iprcsided. . ' ' Mr. H. M'Leod (Mayor of Miramar) said that the proposal of the City Council to raise the fares on the Wellingtou-Mira-mai, run was one that would seriously affect tho borough. He had reckoned.it out that, for o>n average family, tho increase per week would amount to threo shillings, by no means a small item, considering tho present cost of living. It would not bo so bad that, if by paying the 3s. extra tho borough benefited, but, •in this case, it would distinctly depreciate the preseut attractiveness of Miramar. The council would deal with the matter, and when tho City Council have been apprised of the general suburban feeling, Mr. M'Leod was of the opinion that they would not persecute their proposal. ' He did not wish to criticise , the tramway management; they were experts, and ho was not; lie was of tho opinion that they would be reasonable.

Mr. Richards, who spoke on the same question at Vi'ovsei Bay last week, said that he was somewhat more diffident in speaking to the Miramar people than he had been 1 to the AVorser Bay people. Tho latter had the ferry service to rely on in an extreme case, and Miramar had not. He proceeded to freely criticise the-tram-way management in general, and touched upon a number of salient points in the system. Speaking of the figures published regarding tho tramway expenses by tho City Council, he said that they "fell flat," as they only put before the public tho gross income. Continuing his adverse critique, ho commented upon the Tramway Band, which, he alleged, practised in working hours at full pay. Mr. J. J. Clark, chairman of the Kilbirnie Ratepayers' Association, stated that ho did not intend to quote figures or go into tho matter in other than a general way. Speaking about workers' concession tickets, he pointed out that'they wore provided for by the Govemment, but he did not himself see why tho council should not point out that these workers'tickets did not pay, and either ask the Government to subsidise them, or allow that they should be abolished. In con ohiMon he advised that, if a prote.it was to lie'made...the time for such protest was before the council met, and not after. Mr. Edmonds nlfo said a few words on Hie question. He was in favour of a. scheme by which tho residents of the borough should ride free on their own trams, and be taxed accordingly. He admitted that the time was perhaps not quite ripe for snHi an innovation yet.

. Mr. Richards moved: "That the meeting advise the Borough Council to protest, to Hip City Council regarding the matter." Tlio motion was carried unanimously.