CHRISTMAS TRAMS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1610, 29 November 1912, Page 5

CHRISTMAS TRAMS.

reduced Service. ; DOUBLE FARES TO BE CHARGED. Christmas Day trams provided the usual ] amount of discussion at the Cify 'Council meeting last night. The subject'came before councillors in the Teport of the ' Tramways Committee, who submitted the following special report:— "It is proposed that this service shall be run under tho same conditions as last ■ year, and the board consider' this the lowest possible service which oould be rua ' on that day. •; "For the information of the committee,' we desiro to point out that the' revenue received last year for a similar- service totalled <£262 17s. 6d., whilst the working : .1 espouses, including charges, amounted to .£383, leaving a deficit of .£l2O 2s. 6d. ' ■'! "It is to 1)0 remembered that the wages of motormen and conductors, <£112 10s., 1 capital charges .£lO3, totalling ,£215 10s., ; are required to bo paid even if no ei'rvice i at all were run, consequently it will be seen that the running of a reduced ser- .j vice is of profit to the corporation. .A difficulty, however, was experienced last year, and is likely to be again experienced . * this year, owing to tho number of . cars being totally inadequate for the carriage . j of passengers on. that day, even when double fares were charged, and, moreover, the conductors Were quite v.nablo to col- • • lect all the'fares, duo to the heavy our- ; loading, and being required to issue double: tickets. ■ , j "The board is strongly of opinion that ' though it is necessary to Tun a reduced ■ service, a universal fare of Od. should be : charged, in order t to reduce the number | lof short-distance passengers to a. mini" i mum. . "PROPOSED SERVICE ON CHRISTMAS i DAy, DECEMBER 25, 1912. Route. '.Service. Island Bay to Thorndon Quay ... Mmin. Newtown to Karori lOmin, Constable Street to Lambton. . . ,i Station ' .1... ismiiu Oriental Bay to Station ttmin, i Wallace Street to Lambton Station SOmiu, Aro Street to Thorndon Quay ... ismin, Brooklyn to Lambton Station 20min, . Lyall Bay to Station 20min« Seatoun to Station 40min, Miramar to Station 80min, ! Wadestown 30mm, The discussion was opened by Councillor Fletcher, who said he had always • i voted that the tram service should be suspended on Christmas Day, and he was going to vote tho same way this year. • . i He therefore moved that no service ba ■ , run on Christmas. Day. Councillor Hindmarsh seconded the motion, and drew attention to the fact that j in several other cities no service was run on-this day. Councillor Shirtcliffe moved as an amendment that the schedule as recommended by the Tramway Board for • Christmas Day be adopted. He urged'various/ reasons why the cars' should run on that day for "the convenience of the public, who would necessarily want to travel to and from trains and steamers, and to the seaside. . \ • ■ ■

Councillor Frost. seconded the .amende nient, which was carried % nine votes tq six. Councillor Fuller then moved that the trams be run on Christmas Day at ordinary fares, but this lapsed for want of a seconder. Councillor Titzgerald then desired to movo that the trams be run in accordantly with the award, but he was ruled out of order by the Mayor, - who held that the question of the service had already been disposed of. Councillor Frost then moved that double' the ordinary fares bo charged on Christ, mas Day.' Councillor Smith seconded the motion'. As an amendment to this motion, Councillor Shirtcliffe moved that a universal fare of sixpence be charged. ~He considered this would be tlio only possible way of coping with the traffic on a limited service. This" was scooridcd by Councillor 'Atkins son, but, after considerable discussion, it was lost on the voices. Councillor Frost's motion for double fares was then carried. 1 Finally Councillor Fitzgerald moved by way of addition to the proposal to charge double fares: "Provided that 6uch decision is in accord with the agreement made with .the'tramway employees." This was seconded by Councillor Tro. gear, but was lost by nine votes to sis.