Auckland Administration

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 28, 26 April 1927, Page 9

Auckland Administration

Trams, Buses and Water Supply

Position Reviewed by the Chairman

(Extended report by arrangement.)

As chairman of the Water, Tramways and Electricity Committee of the Auckland City Council, Mr. A. Thompson was in a position at Point Chevalier on Saturday evening to giye an informative address on the work of the administration during the past two years. His review of the position disclosed an intimate knowledge of the council’s affairs and the speaker was given a unanimous vote of thanks and support.

Mr. W. A. Berdoe, who was in the chair, gave many reasons why, in his opinion, Mr. Thompson should be returned. First of these was the fact that the candidate’s policy was one of progress throughout his term of office. Moreover, he had, as chairman of the Water, Tramways, and Electricity Committee, conducted the business of important civic departments. Mr. Thompson was also a member of several other committees of the council, and was associated with important public boards. In addition he always took a keen interest in aquatics, various sporting bodies, and friendly societies. He had been associated with the commerce of the city for the pa,st thirty years. In view of that record it could be confidently anticipated that the electors would not overlook the services Mr. Thompson had given to the city during the years he had worked energetically on the city council. THE CANDIDATE'S POLICY In dealing with finance, Mr. Thompson said the business of the City Council was very large and required men of sound business ideas to handle the many financial problems. Without the most careful consideration at times the effect upon the general financial position of the city might be serious. The question of rating was most important and care should be taken to see that during the peak prosperity of the city the taxpayer was not loaded with rates he could not carry at times such as we were passing through at present. The roading policy had been a bold one, but experience had proved it to be sound and in the best interests of the city, both financially and from the viewpoint of the requirements of modern traffic. While the council had not up to the present been able to do the whole of the roads provided for under the last loan, the engineering staff was doing everything possible to have the work completed at an early date, and when this had been carried out there would be no better roaded city south of the line. It was absolutely necessary that our parks and open spaces should be maintained and added to whenever possible, and the same applied to the playing fields. Provision should be made today for the future requirements of outdoor sports. As regards lighting, the city had, within the last three or four Shears changed from the worst to the best-lighted city in New Zealand, and he was of opinion that an all-night lighting system should be adopted where necessary. CITY’S WATER SUPPLY The question of water supply was most important to the health and life of the people, and the council had, over a number of years, promoted a progressive policy, the result of which had been efficient and self-supporting. To have developed the water supply any further ahead of requirements than had been done would have been wasteful and not justified. So long as the council provided sufficient water for all requirements it should not ask the ratepayers for loans to go beyond that. The water position to-day was very sound.

The present available daily supply from Waitakere and Nihotupn was 8,500,000 gallons and the average daily consumption for the year ended March 31 was 8,377,000 gallons. The raising of the wall of the Waitakere dam would provide an additional 1,500,000 gallons daily, making a total of 10,000,000 gallons daily. When the Huia works were completed there would be a minimum daily supply of 14 million gallons of filtered water, sufficient to supply a population of 232,000 with 60 gallons a head a day. The storage in the dams would be 1,550 million gallons, and service reservoirs in the city would hold 18 million gallons. The total expenditure incurred would be £1,257,000. MASS TRANSPORTATION The city transportation was of the utmost importance to Auckland as a whole. Owing to the enormous development in the suburbs, the whole of the business population had to be carried twice a day, and when these numbers were added to the ordinary day-time traffic it would be found the number was equal to the total population of Greater Auckland, and was carried once a day for every day

in the year. He knew of no greater mass transportation in any city the size of Auckland. There was no doubt that buses had come to stay and they had a very important part to play in present and future transportation. but the whole system of trams and buses must be co-ordinated so as to obtain the best results. At the time of the bus regulations coming into force the Tramways Departments receipts were down on the previous year some £15,000. and would have shown a loss for the year of about £50,000. To-day they had wiped out the £15,000, and now showed an increase of over £40,000. Against this, of course, there was the extra cost of running the extra buses. The tramways and bus department was a very large business employing a staff of 1,363, with capital amounting to £1,505,810. Interest and sinking funds last year amounted to £113,875, and wages £332,230. Receipts for the year ended March 31, 1926, were £596,107.

In April, 1924, the first opposition buses commenced running, and they increased rapidly thereafter, eating into the revenue from the council’s transport undertaking. Late in 1924 the council purchased ten buses to combat this opposition. The position, however, became so acute that the council was forced to review its progressive policy of development under which tramway extensions into the Point Chevalier district, to the Remuera boundary and the Mount Eden and Dominion Road lines outwards had been shelved and a further 20 buses were ordered. FARES AND EXTENSIONS The operation of the council’s buses on the Point Chevalier route greatly improved facilities into that district, and at the same time reduced the fares. Under the new scale of fares to operate as from May 1 there was no increase either by cash or concession ticket for one, two or three sections, but the longer distances were called upon pay a slight increase. In regard to transport into the Point Chevalier district, the council had approved a tram extension to the beach, estimated to cost £92,000, plus rolling stock, and when this was constructed there would be a reduction from bus rates to tram rates, of which the residents receive the benefit.

Under the bus fares to operate from May 1, workers’ return tickets for the full journey, City-Point Chevalier Beach, would be sold at 3s 3d for a weekly ticket. Had it not been for the bus competition starting in 1924 Point Chevalier would now be served by tram-cars, and the district would have benefited greatly.

When the trams were taken down to Point Chevalier, intead of three, four or five thousand people being carried there on a holiday there would be 20,000 or more, and this would mean more money spent in the district, which would become popular and would develop rapidly. The district had the finest beach on the south side of the Waitemata. and it would be made ea'sily accessible to the people when the trams were running. SUBURBS TO PAY THEIR SHARE The trams had not cost the ratepayers one single penny in rates, and in a matter of 14 years would be completely paid for and the city would have a valuable asset. Much was being said about the increased tram fares, but there was no increase. It was purely an adjustment and within a reasonable time could be reviewed, and then he would be in favour of immediate reductions over the whole service if the financial position would permit. Why should people outside the city area, such as Oneliunga, travel at as low a rate as those in the city area only half the • distance away? The long-distance passengers should pay their fair proportion.

The proposed tramway extensions were all-important to Point Chevalier as well as Remuera, and in his opinion should be completed as early as possible, as they were the remaining links to complete the system of transportation within the city area. A COMPLEX PROBLEM

The first consideration before subdividing the old market site was to set aside sufficient areas of it for the immediate and future requirements for passenger transportation traffic, as the position was so central and so ideally, situated. Once lost for this purpose, it could never be regained. In his opinion, too much stress could not be given to this very complex question. The balance of the area should be immediately subdivided and leased. While the chairman of the Tramways Committee during the past two years he had at all times had the general support and co-operation of the committee, for which he had been very grateful. As the job was a big one. combined with the chairmanship of the Water Committee, it had practically taken up the whole of his time, so that any honour or glory that might be due to either of the departments was due to him alone as chairman, and to his committee.

Mr. Thompson, in conclusion, said that in his opinion, the general policy adopted by the council had been sound and progressive, and at all times due regard had been given to the finances of the city. If returned it was his intention to continue on those lines. Several questions were asked and answered. A vote of thanks and support was carried unanimously.