CHEAPEN THE FARES!"

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1808, 22 July 1913, Page 3

CHEAPEN THE FARES!"

TO MIRAMAR. THE LOCAL PEOPLE INSISTENT. "Cheapen those Miramar fares" was the title of the song which a Miramar deputation "rendered" before the Tramways Committee of the City Council yesterday. It is a fairly old song now, but it was given yesterday with somo slight variations in tune and phrasing. Mr. F. Townsend (Mayor of the borough) stated that better communication with tho city was desirable.' He believed that the City Council was doing its best to assist, but that assistance was not yet satisfactory. He had three propositions to put beiore the committee. The first one was that the cars be charged per hour instead of per mile. Tho second was the leasing of the borough, tramways to tho city. This would allow the city to run the cars over the borough lines. The third proposal was that the borough should be allowed to run their own cars to Courtenay Place, and from there back to Miramar. On the present caro mileage, the city charges Miramar Is. per' car-mile, whereas it was only costing the city IOJd. According to the City Council's figures, the traffic could be carried out a great deal more cheaply if the charge was made "per hour," instead of as at present—"per mile." On the present state of the traffic, it would work out at ss. sd. per hour on cars run through tho borough. In regard to the question of leasing the trains, there were obvious reasons indicating that this course would be cheaper than tho present system. The committee had only got to take what tho railway people charged between the city and Petone. The concession tickets were ,2s. per.week, and that was a longer run than from the city to Miramar, and yet people had to pay twice that fare to go to Miramar. Ho pointed out that the running to Miramar was level, and that there were very few stops in the borough. In fact, there wero only three from the city boundary to tho Miramar terminus—and these were not compulsory stops. - Then there was only one stop on the Seatoun line. "We feel," continued Mr. Townsend, "that the City Council will allow us to go to the Tramway Board on the matter. I feel sure that if they grant one of these requests it would be much more satisfactory for both parties. We have our own scheme, by which we can run our cars to the city at a much cheaper rate and in a shorter time. We don't want to go into that yet, because we recognise the city, if not now, will a little later improve the traffic as far as charges are concerned. Either of the three proposals will suit us," concluded tho speakor.Councillors Bell aud Telford, of Miramar, also spoke. His Worship tho Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) said that he was very pleased to hear what the deputation had said. Tho community of interest between Miramar. and the city was identical. Ho did not thmk that 'it would be very long before the whole of the Miramar Peninsula would be absorbed with the oity. The council would havo to bo careful that tho expenses which Miramar asked to be relieved of were not unjustly imposed on Wellington. The council would have to go into tho wholo matter. In dealing with figures, Mr. Townsend had , not taken into consideration the power expenses. It was costing the city well over 10kl. Miramar was .really paying a shilling, and it was costing the city 11,(1. Ho said that it was. his belief that they (Miranvar) would have little chance oi running any undertaking on their own. There was ,not hostility towards the borough on tho part of the citv. _ Tho council would not go on the basis ot charging for cars pef hour. The committee had no power to give any answer to thii question of leasing the cars, but the committee would consult the Tramway Board on tho matter. The responsibility of the city's policy rests on the council. In conclusion tho Mayor said that lio wished tho deputation to go away witli the feoling that Miramar's interests and the interests of the city wero identical.