TRAMWAYS FINANCE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1678, 19 February 1913, Page 6

TRAMWAYS FINANCE.

On the surface, the figures * relating to the working of the tramways for the 44 weeks of the current financial year (printed'in our issuo of yesterday) iridicato a material im-, provement in the position. They certainly seem to.indicatc that something of a check has been placed upon tho drift to the bad'of this important undertaking, The revenue sliowb an increase of some £8000, and the ex'pendifcure an incrcase-.o'f some £3000, with the result that there is a net improvement on paper amounting to £5000. We say "on paper," because wo have never been quite satisfied that the strict principles of account-: ing have ever been'.observed. The" new Board of Management is on ita trial still, and wo' should be sorry to say anything to the prejudice ( of the innovation, which wo .welcomed, when it was inaugurated, for the promise of good that it contained, and which appears to be justifying itself. The'.difficulty which \:> imposed uponicriticism by ricss of the' figures strikes us as ;boinc; an argument in favour of Borne brisker and more enlightening presentation, of' tho The methods of the Treasury and.the General Government' Departments are not perfect by a; : very long way,' but every quarter there., is; made 1 available to'the public through the Gazette a full and adequate suminary of the national finances, and every, four'weeks a summary of the railway' finances quite sufficient to show'how the system is faring, as a whole and in detail. We can see no good '/reason' |why v tho, Tramways Board should riot publish overy four weeks a full statement of the working of every tramway route, and especially a statement* of the classified expenditure. iThere are many obvious reasons why such an improvement is desirable.' In the until the recent change in manage-! ment—there, had always been a good deal of official opposition to our constant pleas for sounder principles ,in ; ..thc accounting of the tramways system; It was owing to this .neglect of strict principles that the system was allowed to drift so far ; to the' bad that the revenue had to be tightened up by curtailing the improper concessions, in sections arid in fares, which had been granted by the council. There is to be a general municipal election very ,soon, and the cause, of sound finance is to bo attacked by the Labour 4 party. Little can be expected from tho Mayor, who is more than knee-deep in the "Labour movement" ; .(which/ is now a frankly Socialist movement) t but thero is time yet for those councillors who care tnore'for the city's intereststhan for Socialistic 'politics to do something, before their term of offico expires, to affirm the doctrine of justice and prudence in municipal undertakings.. Every improvement (even if it is but a "paper" improvement) that can be shown in the tramways balance-sheet will stimulate a good many interested, people to'help the Labour-Socialists in their clamour for a universal penny fare, or, in other' words; for tho privilege of riding at the'expense of those who will have to make up the loss without benefiting.' There is no gain to the city in putting the tramways in a sound position if the doing so means the affording-of an excuse for getting back as quickly as possible to an unsound position again. The system has a considerable deal to do yet before it overtakes tho losses of the past, and we hope to see those councillors who care more for their duty, than for the Socialists.making it. plain, before their term of office ends, that the city's interests require that the tramways system shall not be tampered with in the way which the Labour-Socialists desire.