Censure Motion Is Taken as Compliment

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 850, 19 December 1929, Page 12

Censure Motion Is Taken as Compliment

MR. POTTER’S REPLY “PERSONAL ATTACK ON ME” For writing a letter which was held to be misleading, Mr. E. H. Potter, a member of the Auckland Transport Board, was censured by resolution at Tuesday’s meeting of the board. Mr. Potter in a letter to THE SUN says he regards this censure motion as a compliment. “Tho Transport Board, following its usual custom of taking business in committee, made a personal attack on me in connection with a letter which appeared in a morning paper,** he writes. “The letter was in reply to a leader in that paper which referred to a conference on flat rate fares at which I presided. At that conference, various speakers argued from figures obtained from the board, and from published returns. Mr. Ford says it is perhaps unfortunate that the distinctions between the different sets of figures have not always been appreciated. I would suggest that it is unfortunate that the distinctions were not pointed out. The board s circular to local authorities gives a total of 53 millions odd. The annual statistics show 59 millions odd; but the circular does not point out that the difference consists of school children’s and workers’ tickets, race tickets, etc.

‘’Mr. Ford says the figures of the annual statement accord exactly with those of the circular of October 1, which may be true when the explanation is given, but then no explanation was given. Mr. Ford says the chairman pointed out to me that the inclusion of sundry passengers would cause confusion, hut that would not help the other local authorities to whom the circular was sent.

Mr. Ford makes no reference to the report to. the board dated August 26, 1929, which show’s lor the first 145 days of the current year a decrease ni the number of passengers carried of nearly 10 per cent., but you will tealise that this was a disturbing factor to the local bodies, as it shows that there is every probability of a loss on the year’s working. ALLOCATION OF REVENUE “Mr Ford's report refers to the findmgs of the Transport Commission on tlie allocation of revenue between trams and buses. He says the allocation of cash fares was admitted to be correct. The commission may have thought so. but it certainly did not say so in dealing with the charges relating to the working of the svstem Mhat it did say was:—'The evidence tendered to us satisfies us that the apportionment of revenue from concession and commutation tickets between trams aud buses 4 up to date cannot be acepted as approximately accurate. The correct apportionment is not an eagy one, but the methods disclosed in the cross-examination of the department's staff witnesses show that improvements can and should be effected.’ It goes on to add:—‘As long as the controlling authority may be called upon to refuse services because they are non-paying or to refuse increases of other services on the same ground, they must take every care to see that the apportionment of the revenue is as fair and accurate as it can be made, for that is the basis of the whole argument.* * “A committee of the Transport Board has seen fit to make an attack °n me at a time when no reporters were present and anything I had to say was unreported. It then solemnly passed a vote of censure upon me and sent it to the Press for publication. In the circumstances the board will not be surprised to be told that I regard its vote of censure rather as a compliment than otherwise. OUTSIDE SERVICES “The object for which the Transport Board was formed was to function as an operating authority and a licensing authority, w*hich gave it the necessary power to provide an adequate service within the transport area. The policy that I have consistently recommended is that private enterprise should serve the population outside the tram area with a through service to the City, which would relieve the uudertaking from a heavy loss and increased fares also the consideration of a maximum fare would be in the interest of the service If by advocating this policy which I 'consider is in the interests of transport generally I should meet with opposition from the majority of the members ot the board—at least the public will have before them the differences of opinion that at present exist. I do not think my colleagues on the board should hesitate over the policy to be pursued.”