MIRAMAR BOROUGH COUNCIL

Evening Post, Volume LXXXV, Issue 32, 7 February 1913, Page 3

MIRAMAR BOROUGH COUNCIL

•At last evening's meeting of the Miramar Borough Council the motion put forward by Councillor Grigg to the effect that a fare of ono penny be charged on all the cars running on the borough lines came up for for discussion. Those present were; Councillor Bell (in the chair), and Councillors Bowie, Telford, Smith, and Grigg. , , Councillor Grigg said that under the present, system they were losing money as well as population, and he wished to make transit cheaper and. better. He pointed out that if the council took certain periods in the last three years and compared the returns they Svould find that there ,had been a heavy lO6S. The only way out of the difficulty was to make the fares cheaper. Councillor Bowie said that he thought Councillor Grigg was wrong, and that the falling revenue could be attributed to the closing of Wonderland and the suppression" of the pony races. .Others also, expressed similar views, and the -motion was lost. A petition was presented by Mcsdames Doughty and Blair on behalf of a number of residents of Seatoun, Karaka, Scorching and Worser Bays requesting that tho council should give consideration to the question of subsidising the present ferry service. They stressed the point that communication with the city from parts of the borough- Was practically cut off, and property would sopn become valueless as permanent residential sites for city business people. The proposal to extend the tramline along ,to Marshall's Point would be most expensive and costly of operation. In any case>thero would be a mile walk. The council decided to defer consideration in the meantime. ' A special committee reported oit the 'cost of extending the Seatoun tramways to Worser Bay. It was decided that tho committee should confer with the Ferry Company as to the position of the ferfy service. r ' ' ' ';; Councillor Bo'wio said that they had met the Ferry Company during the afternoon in respect to the suggested subsidy of £200, and apparently the company intimated that if. would sooner take the boats off than accept the subsidy. The council tried lo have the amount reduced, but failed, and the company suggested that the trial should be for three months only. This would prove satisfactory for the council. Eighteen months, which would include two winters, would give them a fair indication as to the success or otherwise of the scheme. An attempt was made to improve the week day and Sunday services, but without success. He moved that the £200 subsidy be paid provided v that the Cobar should Tun. Councilor Grigg suggested > that a clause should be ' inserted giving the Council the option of leasing or purchasing the boat. / 4 The Deputy-Mayor Taised , the- question of the legality of tlie payment of a subsidy, and the clerk explained that 1 per cent, on the Tates collected in the borough could be paid. He thought that the' Public Works Committee should meet to discuss the legality of the position. This latter suggestion was agreed npbn. The Miramar Labour Party wrote asking' that the council ehould issue writs for the return of nine councillors instead of six at the next election. The letter was received, and it was decided that the suggestion could not be entertained. Acc6unt« on tho district fund amounting to £817. 16e 6d and £690 12s 3d on tho inrproveivent loan account were passed' for^payment.