UNIVERSAL PENNY TRAM FARES.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1647, 14 January 1913, Page 10

UNIVERSAL PENNY TRAM FARES.

• . — 4 -^- ! ; ! PROPOSAL BY TRADES COUNCIL. The Trades and Labour .Council is organising at present ivith a view to putting up a strenuous fight,in the interests of Labour at the next municipal elections. One of the most important of their election proposals will bo the advocacy' of a universal penny fare on all tram-lines >. in Wellington. ■ ■ . ' ■' The President of the Trades and La- • hour Council (Mr. M. J. Reardon) cxplain- > ed the council's views on tho matter to a • Dominion reporter yesferday. "The council," ho said, "is'now outlining a policy c it is proposed to adopt during the muni- ■ cipal campaign. The most important pro- • posal is that in connection with tho trnm- • way service,.and wo are going to advo- •. cate a universal fare (of Id., as is stated > lowor down), and endeavour to secure such '• legislative power as will enable the in- - forest and sinking fund on capital cost • to-bo made a chargo upon tho unim- - proved values, instead of on tha actual ! > working profits of the system. One point > in connection with .this matter is that > the system itself is an to <• the land-owner—it is improving the value • of their properties. The universal fare '», wo advocate • will be sufficient to cover working costs, and we claim that that - is all we are entitled to pay—actually 5 for what use we have made of the ser- " vice. The ratepayers whose properties aro '• increased in .value by the amount ex- ! ponded on the tramway system should be : - prepared to par for' the interest and sinki ing fund out of their properties. ■ "Some time ago the manager of the ~ Melbourne tramway, system, while. on_ a « visit'to Wellington, expressed the opiri- " ion that the local service could be worked '• profitably upon a universal fare of Hd. '• Our idea at present—wo have not, of E - course, submitted the question to experts L - yet—is that we could adopt a universal penny fare, more particularly if legjsla- - tion could bo got'to make interest and J sinking fund a charge upon the rates. ! "The 'zone' system also came up for t. consideration, but,", he added,."this pro- > posal is the "one- that seemed to find '• most favour just now. In any-case, for -' immediate purposes it is proposed to ad- • i vocate n uniform. system of fares from a • ; given centre in the city, with concession •; tickets for long-distance travellers. Memt. bers of the counoil appeared very anxious t- to remove the anomaly of having long sec- ■ ; tions in the, heart of ; tho city—sections i, most used by commercial people who are r, mostlv in a hurry; '.■'..- • , . t. "Renewals are now being provided for out of the profits. All recent additions r- to the lines—loops, ■ alterations, and vart. ious improvements'—have all been met out il, of revenue. • '■' -■ c- "We believe that the universal penny s- faro will havo an effect similar to that r» of tho universal penny postagc-that proly fits will bo increased rather than decreasa- ed. It is probable that it. will be found y, that the recent increase in fares has de- . fcated.its own purpose by reducing the number of passengers carried by the service. This is treating a system for profit instead of a system for publio convenience." Mr. Reardon also argued that the prmra oiplo of rating land for a particular util»o ity such as tho tram service need,press hardly on no one. It was proposed to mako the rato general over the wholo of tho. city areas. - The land owner nearer the tram lino, since'his values would havo gone up higher, would have to pay more in proportion than one whoso property wos situated further back, and who, coni, senuently, was not so advantaged finnnod cially - =====