Transport Board’s Finances Criticised

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 757, 2 September 1929, Page 11

Transport Board’s Finances Criticised

HEAVY DEFICIT ALLEGED I OUTSIDER’S CRITICISM Questions affecting the revenue and the financial prospects of the Auckland Transport Board are discussed in the following letter handed to THE SUN by Mr. J. R. Lundon—statements which are contradicted in the footnote by the j chairman of the Board, Mr. J. A. C. Allum. QN Thursday last, Mr. J. A. t. Alima made the following full statement for Press publication in connection with the Transport Board s administration:— “The board is burdened with accumulated losses of £ 78.000 which is its duty to liquidate within a reasonable time. There is no need to be pessimistic about the situation because, although the board still has difficulties to face, there is every indication of a much brighter future.” As one up-to-date ’ indication'* of ! this much “brighter future,” I here j challenge Mr. Allum to deny the fact that on the day before he dictated | that statement, he and the board ac- ' tually had definite knowledge of an | official return by the board’s secretary. } prepared. I take it, during Mr. A. E. 1 Ford’s recently concluded six weeks’ | holiday in Australia, disclosing a loss I of £17,777 on the board’s operations from April 1 to August 23, 1929 (3 45 days) and forecasting further losses running into thousands sterling during the remaining seven months of the board’s present financial year. A ghastly indication these figures predict for a much brighter future! I am able and wililng to publish in The Sun a resume of the secretary’s portentious official financial report failing the release of the whole document by the board at its meeting tomorrow for assimilation by those who pay for, use and own our transport undertaking. Furthermore, I suggest that the ascertained £17,777 loss, and a further esimated loss, were discussed by the board (m the absence of the Press) last Tuesday and that a 12£ per cent, increase in the purchase prices of all concession cards was one of the ideas mentioned at that meeting, which set up two committes: 1. To tackle the pressing problem of popularising the service. 2. To formulate possible economies in the service. Meantime our suffering public is to be permitted to continue to enjoy the use of the one new tramcar, built during the last three or four years, and also to receive the usual courtesies from the 38 inspectors with which, the service is infested. So far I have failed to find anyone concerned with our transport management who will deign to accept my proffered £ 6 6s in exchange for one of those much proclaimed annual tickets, supposedly available to all members of local bodies within the board’s area. J. R. LUNDON. “BOARD WILL SUCCEED” Invited to comment on this letter the chairman of the Transport Board, Mr. J. A. C. Allum, said: As set out in my statement to the Press on Thursday last, the board has difficulties to face, and one of them is a decrease in the revenue of the Undertaking. This was indicated in the estimates published in the Press. The board is facing its difficulties and will deal with them in a manner satisfactory to the public it serves. Beyond giving a direct denial to Mr. Lundon’s imputation that there has been a loss of £17,777 on the board’s operations from April 1 to August 23 of this year, I decline to comment on his remarks. Everyone who knows Mr. Lundon is well aware of his tactics, and I am sure the board will succeed despite any dissension he may endeavour to create.