HARBOUR FERRIES

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2454, 6 May 1915, Page 9

HARBOUR FERRIES

AUCKLAND'S NEW CHARGES

CONSIDERED NOT UNREAS©NABLE

His Honour Mr. Justioe Hosking, who was appointed as a Commission to make aii inquiry into cortaiu allegations in a petition relating to> tho charges imposed on ferry services by the by-laws of the Auckland Harbour Board, reports iu effect that the allegation that the charges are unfair or unreasonable in amount has not been sustained. Tho report, which has just been presented to the Government, states, inter alia, after dealing with tho method, of calling evidence, that the question into which the Commission was directed to inquire arose out of the making by the Auckland Harbour Board of a now bylaw regulating tho wharfage dues to ho paid by ferry boats, both passenger and vehicular, for the use of tho board's wharves. After dealing with the power of veto granted to tho Governor, tho report goes on. to stato that in substance. if not in form, the charges imposed by the by-laws in question lrnvo, in the course of this inquiry, been attacked tor infringing some or all of tho principles deferred to. Broadly put, it was alleged against them that they were unfair and unreasonable in amount, and the question the Commissioner assumed must be answered was whether the allegation was sustained. "Upon a consideration of the evidence and arguments," continues the report, "my finding is that the allegations that the charges are unfair or unreasonable in amount have not been sustained."

The rates in force prior to the new by-laws with respect to licensed ferry steamers were so much per wharf per month, the rate varying with the wharf. A distinct charge for wharfage on goods was likewise in force. Under theso heads the revenue for 1913 was as follows wharfage, £655; goods wharfage, £530; and for storage, £3; total. £1118. Under the new by-law the rate is per steamer per day, whatever wharf is touched at, the rate per day increasing with the carrying capacity of the vessel in the case of passenger boats, and a fixed charge of 10s. per day being made for each vehicular boat. The estimated revenue under the new by-law, based on existing traffio, is £4350, or nearly four times as much as arose under the former rates. "No precise test for determining what are the rates proper to be imposed on passenger ferry boats was given to me in the course of the inquiry," states the Commissioner, "and possibly none such is available or possible. The by-laws of the Wellington and Otago Harbour Boards on this subject were placed before me, but the rates in each differ substantially from the other, as they in turn differ from those which were in force in Auckland. The rates differ with local circumstances: tlioy aro not, as other shipping dues, liable to bo affected by the outside competition of other ports. But all the bylaws referred to show that in imposing wharfage dues, ferry companies aro differentiated from other shipping." The Devonport Company states it will have to pass on to the public the excess it will have to pay over £1000. That excess on its present number of boats will be £2650. The population on these services is: Birkenhead, 2139; Devonport, 3010; Northcote, 1737; making a' total of 11,646, as compared with 4230 in 1896. Dividing the £2650 per annum amongst the 11,646 persons served by the Devonport Company, the increase amounts to about 4s. 7d. per head. This at one Teturn trip per working day is an addition of about onesixth of a penny per day to the fare, and assuming only one-third of the population travel one return trip daily, the increase per head will be 145., or about one halfpenny per trip. \ "The result in my mind," states the Commissioner, "is that I cannot say that the new charges proposed by the Harbour Board aro unfair or unreasonable ar© regards those who may be called on to bear any necessary increase in fares. Clause 41 of the report doalp with the fact that the consent of the Governor is necessary to by-laws regulating fares. In this connection it is pointed out that any regulation of the fares must be effected by by-laws, which the Governor will have power to disallow if it is thought proper to do so. It was urged, says paragraph 43, on behalr of the public that the increased rates should not be levied while tho war continues, nor before the ensuing winter is over. In view of my opinion as to the moderation of the proposed increase, and the propriety of it, I have no recommendation to make on this subject. The evidence was that the war had reduced the board's revenue owing to the large number of Government transports representing shipping exempt from dues which had taken tho' place of ordinary shipping. The board began to deal with the subject before the war began."