Onehunga Retailers Approve Tram Loans

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 635, 11 April 1929, Page 9

Onehunga Retailers Approve Tram Loans

ADDRESS BY CHAIRMAN MORE CARS NECESSARY “I do not put it forward a* a reason why you should vote for the loan, but if it is carried it offers the best means of reducing unemployment in this district that I know of.” Thus, Mr. J. A. C. Allum, when addressing the members of the Onrhunga Retailers’ Association last evening. He assured them that the Trans port Board was genuinely anxious to deal justly and fairly with the people in the whole of the district under its control, but Onehunga could not expect to be given facilities which could not be extended to all other routes He claimed that the trams had always paid their way whether under the control of the original company, the City Council, or the Transport Board, but, like the well-known saying about the grocery business, “there’s plenty of money in tea but the sugar is a nuisance.” The buses were the “sugar” in the tramway business. While the competition lasted, it was very nice for the public, but it was uneconomical, and in the end the public had to pay for the losses. Onehunga was well catered for, in that it had plenty of cars on the route and the cash fares were less than the concession fares on some of the other lines. It had an 11-minutes’ service which the board considered adequate. An express bus service had been tried but it did not pay axle grease, while the feeder services to Mangere aud 'Favona Road had resulted in a loss. He predicted, however, that as the metropolitan area developed it would be necessary to put on bus services here and there, but the backbone of the city’s transport must be the tramways. Already £1,800,000 was sunk in the system, which must either go forward or backward, and if it were to develop with the city the extensions proposed by the board must be put in hand. These extensions had lagged behind the city’s development far too long and in the board’s opinion it was more economical to extend the existing system than to adopt any other method of transport. The board was not antagonistic to buses, and it would put them on wherever they would pay, but it would be unsound business to run them parallel with existing tram-lines. “FINANCES BREAK EVEN” He favoured borrowing the full amount of £825,000 because the board could then lay out and complete a

more economical programme. Regarding the Avondale extension, Mr. Allum said that until a complete and definite understanding was reached with the railway authorities in respect to the new railway line through the Morningside tunnel, the board would do nothing toward extending the line to Avondale. He claimed that the losses incurred by the bus competition were gradually being overtaken until to-day the finances were just about “breaking even/* and once the leeway was made up the board’s first duty would be to consider the incidence of fares. “Never yet/* he said, “have the ratepayers of Auckland had to pay one penny in rates for the upkeep of the trams, and as soon as any profit is made it will be applied to a reduction in the fares.” Mr. J. Pilkington, who presided, urged the immediate reduction of the workers’ concession faree, and pointed out that the existing charges caused workers to cling to the congested areas of the city instead of emjoying the healthier and more economical benefits offered by the suburbs. Mr. Allum, however, pointed out that the workers’ tickets were based on the net cost of the run and if a reduction were granted on the Onehunga line it would have to be extended to every line. He desprecated any interference with the finances at the present juncture when the board’s finances were just being stabilised. On being asked to put on minimum fare cars to Onehuuga, Mr. Allum said that the board would do so as soon as sufficient rolling stock was available. He complained that he himself very rarely was fortunate enough to secure a seat in a tram-car on his way to and from the city. The next request made by Mr. Pilkington was for a special local service to give facilities to the residents in the outskirts of Onehunga for doing their shopping in the borough. » To this appeal Mr. Allum replied that special services were unsatisfactory and expensive, but if the retailers would submit a definite proposal the board might give it a trial. ; It would, however, require a small guarantee, sufficiently to cover the driver’s wages, cost of benzine and \ tyres. The meeting, which was attended by several members and officials of the Transport Board, carried a resolution expressing approval of the tramway ' loan proposal® ! Allum.