WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 26 April 1928, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS

A LICENSING BILL. I’ROI 11 BITION’S AMBITION. (Special to “ Guardian.”) WELLINGTON. April 2*i. Ilie general assumption that at the Reform caucus last tvcck the Prime Minister induced the members ot his party to forgo any further licensing legislation until after the general election is not endorsed by the exet ulive of the New Zealand Alliance. In the course of a communication made to the exoentite on priday last .Mr C. i!. Kdinond. the general seeretarv of tiie Alliance, stated emphatically that ‘‘as far as the position could he judged hy the Alliance, there "as no weakening in the intention of their friends in the Reform group to have a Bill containing the two-issue ballot papei and the hare majority introduced during the next session o! Parliament.'' Local members ol the Reform Party who wore present at the recent caucus are not prepared to give anv definite information on the subject and the Prime Minister himself is silent, two facts which suggest that the caucus was not altogether unanimous on '.his particular (jitcslion. The popular opinion here is that it would he a great pity if this hone of contention had to he carried over to the general election.

AL I. IA XC K DEMANDS. The New Zealand Alliance is expecting not only that a majority of the members of the House ol Representatives will sutuioi l (lie two-i-.sue ballot paper and the bare majority, but also that it will make restoration, in the event ol no license being ini'lied a much stiller proposition 'loin it would he under .Mr Coates’s Rill. Apparently undei its system it a n.ajoritv of the electors should heroine tired of iio-lieeit.se ami vote aeeordiugIv their vote for restoration would nor extend to previously prohibited districts. but would simply make them again no-license areas. I lie Alliance continues to denounce the State Purchase and Control issues as a ”dis.crrdiled proposition;’’ but makes no allusion to tin* fact that at the last tiw licensing polls it lias made more progress than has either of the other t«o issues. .Since 1!)!!). when it was instituted, the votes for this issue have increased by 73.2 tier cent, wuile the votes for Continuance have increased by 24.2 per cent, and 110license h\ 15.2 per cent. These figures impi v neither retrogression nor discredit. Ill'S SERVICES.

As was predicted when Parliament gave the City of Wellington power to free its tramways from hits competition. the City Council has begun a drastic reduction of its railless services. Since it took over these services last vent it has been gradually weaning the public from their us.*, eliio 11 v by mininising the conveniemes they provided; but last week it announced boldly the discontinuance ot a number of services and tin* reduction of many others. I here have neen complaints and protests Irani many quarters, hut with the law at its back the Council is able to do practically what it likes and the stranded traveller has no redress.. Ife must either walk to the nearest tram >■ lopping place or make the whole ol his journey on foot, it being ol little consequence to the tram authorities whether their arrangements suit him or not. The buses when run by private enterprise wen a daily boon to residents in the suburbs who were not served by the trams, and their proprietors were obtaining an adequate return, but when the latter were upon by tTie Council and by Parliament the troubles of both ;>arR F.STR AIN Ml) CRITICISM. The “t'Aining Post.” " liich is not lull- I, in its 1 ritlcbni of the h» al bodies within ifs sphere, indicates public opinion on this subject. “I he bus side of the tram business.” it -nvs.

•'is far from sat isla< Tory. . .! in percentage of total expenses to receipts is -_’l per ft;nt greater than in the previous year. Does this not sug(ro.it that, too rutting down of bus

mileage has lieen done in such a wav a> to make tin- service more improiii.al'le lies mileage was less hv 3<,b3i miles, hut trallic cxnenses were (treater in e I |9B (equal to 111 per cent), repairs and maintenance tost -loo'd more (about 22 por cent), and depreciatiou ro.se Y 1 ''■iti (alauit .10 per cent'. There have been complaints from time to time of the way in which the buses are run thut the time-table is not certain aml regular, and that it is difficult to discover wlmt is the running schedule, that the buses are hoc used as they might lie in supplementing the trams at rush hours. These are among the mildest complaints that have been made, but ot course the Couneil will have its way.