COMMUNITY CARS?

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 70, 14 June 1927, Page 1

COMMUNITY CARS?

HAROLD SCHMIDT’S PLAN AFFAIRS OF “TRANSIT” CLUBS “SPLIT IN THE CAMP” "TF the City Council makes it too hot fop our community buses we will run a fleet oF cars. We want cheaper fares and we are going to get them. Thus spoke Mr. Harold Schmidt to-day. “There has been a split in the ramp of the Suburban Transit and Social Club,” continued Mr. Schmidt, “and the City Council is prosecuting only the smaller branch—that run by Mr. Hall Skelton, on completely different lines to our own. “But if the City Council picks on us afterwards, we will compete with the trams, with a fleet of fifty motor-cars. We will run on the Mount Eden, Ocminion Road and Parnell routes.” CAUSE OF THE SPLIT Outlining the cause of the split in the original transit club, which was founded by him, Mr. Schmidt said that Mr. Hall Skelton, who was not a committeeman, wrote and demanded that a meeting should be held on a certain day. He had no right to do that and his wish was not complied with. After that, when a committee meeting was to be held, Mr. Hall Skelton went round in a motor-car and, collecting all the committeemen, took them to another meeting. About this time several members began to get nervous of their position and resignations were handed in. Mr. Hall Skelton broke loose and formed the Mount Eden service, while Mr. Schmidt arranged for the “general” buses which run to Parnell. Recently Birkenhead and Point Chevalier services joined the ‘'general” club. Should the club have to run limousines to compete with trams. Mr. Schmidt believes that a handsome

profit will be made. A car running four trips a day at 2s a trip would bring in £35 a week, he said, and that would pay well. The club would, of course, have the right to charge fares on the cars, because they did not come under the Motor-Omnibus Act. “Community cars are not the only things we are thinking about,” he concluded. “In time vve will have to cater for Birkenhead and the North Shore, and then we will need a community ferry boat! The project is taking shape already. The Ferry Company must be made to reduce the fares and this is the only way to do it. A ferry could easily be run by the club. “I know I haven’t a ghost of a chance of getting into the local bodies as an independent, but I get things done in spite of the City Council. You can do anything you set your mind on!”