The Sun 42 Wyndham Street, Auckland, N.Z. THURSDAY, JULY 28, 1927 A CHEQUE FOR £500,000

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 108, 28 July 1927, Page 10

The Sun 42 Wyndham Street, Auckland, N.Z. THURSDAY, JULY 28, 1927 A CHEQUE FOR £500,000

IT is right and proper that Mr. J. A. C. Allum, as chairman of the Auckland City Council’s Tramways Committee, should be commended without qualification for having abandoned the municipal bad habits of bluff and bungling in respect of the administration and development of transport. In the frank statement made to this journal yesterday he demonstrated an appreciable willingness to go forward on open lines and thus enable the ratepayers to see clearly the progressive methods of a transport system which, in recent years, under a different administration, was allowed to become ricketty and unprofitable. It is to be hoped that an end has been made at last to a haphazard policy involving the suppression of information, and the diversion of loan money from a specific purpose to a speculative enterprise. Many ratepayers will find it hard not to yield to a provocative temptation to flagellate the old gangrof administrators for its grievous errors, and particularly for the unmoral trick of diverting a loan of £50,000, authorised by a poll of ratepayers for the Point Chevalier tramway extension (which is now estimated to cost £92,000) to the purchase of buses which last year contributed largely to a loss of £45,000. Even Mr. Allum felt an urge to be scornful about it. But his chivalry in agreeing to let the past bury its dead mistakes may be emulated by the ratepayers in the best future interests of the community, and in the hope that such errors of administration never can happen again. It has to he recognised that the chairman of the tramways committee is confronted with a stupendous task. The circumstances are such that a weak administrator could easily be made the scapegoat for a muddled enterprise. Fortunately, Mr. Allum has more than the average measure of administrative courage, and will make the best use of it in the exercise of shrewd business ability. If lie take the right way toward winning the support and confidence of the ratepayers, who now realise that the city lacks municipal leadership, there should be no danger of failure. But before the essential confidence of disillusioned ratepayers can be restored, it will be necessary for the tramways administration to disclose clearly and with unmistakable definiteness its policy In respect of the future use of motor-buses. It has been emphasised by Mr. Allum that the tramway branch of the metropolitan transport system has never been barren (though occasionally, we may add, it has shown evidence of blight). The trams have not yet failed to pay their way. That is perfectly true, but what the ratepayers want to know, before they agree to an additional expenditure of half-a-hiillion sterling on the whole transport system, is exactly how far the users of trams will be exploited to counterbalance losses on the expansion of extravagant bus services in territory beyond the boundaries of the City. Have the ratepayers within the City, who cannot escape responsibility for the payment of municipal debt, to go on paying high fares for short runs in order to provide cheap transport for outer suburban residents? These, and other pertinent questions, must be answered decisively by the tramways administration. There can be no argument about the necessity for a thorough overhaul of the system. But all doubt as to the ability of the administration to make an expanded tramway service pay must be dispelled before a cheque for £500,000 is handed to it for extensions.

UNS YMPA THE TIC MR. NOS IVOR THY

THE unapproachable' attitude of politicians who have attained I to power, as contrasted with the sympathetic friendliness with which they receive complaints at election time, is one of those contrasts which make politics such a delightful study. There is the Honourable W. Nosworthv, for instance." In the capacity of a candidate for Parliament, he was among those who indicated a fervent anxiety to do all possible, legislatively or administratively, for the electors, irrespective of creed, party or section. In his capacity of Postmaster-General he has “little sympathy with the majority of complaints.” This remark of Mr. Nosworthy’s was passed with reference to representations made on behalf of the public concerning faults in the public radio services, which the Government relegated to a private company. That there has been very good ground for complaint, in Auckland at least, was shown by the Instantaneous success attendant on the formation of "a Listeners’ League, which, without any canvassing, became a numerically strong and representative body. The Listeners’ League holds that if the Minister has analysed every complaint (which, of course, he hasn’t), he must be fully aware of the extent and justice of the adverse criticism, and it has protested strongly against the discourtesy shown by Mr. Nosworthy. Sympathy is not expected from Mr. Nosworthv, who has shown time and again (and very expressively so in recent weeks) that he is not a naturally sympathetic soul. What is expected of him is patience to hear and investigate grievances, justice in dealing with all complaints—and considerably more tact than be has displayed on this occasion.