TRAMWAY FINANCE

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 8, 4 October 1919, Page 3

TRAMWAY FINANCE

TROUBLESOME THE ATORLD OVER.

I Writing to Mr. M. Cable, acting-tram-i ways manager, from London. Mr. W. H. Morton, City Engineer and tramways I niannger, emphasises the fact that tramj way finance troubles are bv no means 'peculiar to Wellington or even, New Zealand. Ho writes under (late July 22: I "In Canada and America all cars are on I the ; puy-as-you-enter principle, and it suite well with a universal fare. Practically all tramwav concerns in U.S.A. aro in a bad way financially. In many places receivers"have- been' put in. In 60ine eases it has -been permitted..to raiso the fares .generally to G cents, but. in others'applications-to-do so have been refused, it being contended that if tho stock had not been watered, the concerns would still be paying a decent dividend on the original value of the shares. In England extra sections have been ' put in, but this has occasioned' many objections, as the sectional ppinta invnrtrAly increased the value of business premises' nr the vicinity. You can imagine what would take nlace were the rten't Terracc-Courtenay Place section point'reroov'ed! Coal is soaring in price. The tubes and underground systems in Loudon are no longer "twopenny tubes," but charges 'according to distance travelled are .made. The- management _is trying to.educate the people by giving them information on the increase of charges in operating, evidently with nview to showing that increased cost means increased fares. It is exceedingly difficult, however, jib increase fares on a 1(1. section system..' "The turbine for Wellington is now being erected for testing, and'l propose going up \a Newcastle'with Mr. Woodward to see tlr; test as soon as wo hear that -it is-ready. - "I find that in America and here the principal point considered iii locating powerhouses is the proximity of a sulK--cient supply of water for condensing. It is preferred to have an accessible and suitable water supply for this purposo rather than.'a.convenient method of coal supply. Great attention is given to tho water' necessary for condensing and gattiiur the most perfect vacuum possible."