THE MAYOR'S REMARKS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 171, 19 July 1907, Page 5

THE MAYOR'S REMARKS.

The Mayor said that the Finance Committee had gone very carefully and minutely into the whole question. The recommendations of the Finance Committee, as set forth in their report, appeared to be in the desired direction. They were well aware of the fact that an acute state in connection with tramway matters had been arrived at, and, of course, members of the Finance Committee fully recognized their responsibility. There was no doubt that the Tramway Company for some considerable time did not treat communications from the City Council with that consideration that they should have been entitled to, and the convenience of the public, no doubt, in consequence, had been seriously aSected. It was recognized some time ago that the company were not giving that serious consideration to these matters that it was thought desirable. They were aware that specific action had been taken with regard, firstly, to the question of the insuliicieny of cas, and the company had been fined an amount of £310. It was quite evident that the present position was accentuated to a very large extent owing,- not to there being so much an insufficiency of cars, as that there were a large number of ears laid up for repairs. He had a report from the traffic inspector, in which he stated that out of lit) cars owned by the company, 50 were running on July 5, 52 on the Bth, increasing to 62 by yesterday. These were in good order, and were clean, the time-table had been well observed, though occasionally the long distance cars were a few minutes behind. A 10-ininute service should be run to Grey Lynn, in place of the present 13-niinute service. A sufficiency of cars had been provided for the theatres, and for all times, except crush tin.<;s, and the manager seemed anxious to comply with his requests, and to supply information. The sen-ice. was being admirably carried out, with the exception that more cars were necessary. The report of the City Engineer and the recommendations of the Finance Committee spoke for themselves, and dealt with practically every aspect of the question. The matter had been much discussed outside, and some rash statements had been made. It had been suggested by members of suburban bodies that the number of cars should be increased by 26. It was an absurd impossibility to have these cars made within the time suggested, and was unnecessary, if the number of cars at present owned by the company were put in working order. He understood that this was to be done immediately; that a number of armatures had already arrived, and an improvement in the present armature was coming forward shortly which would enable the motors to be kept in better order. Shortly, therefore, they should have the whole 69 cars running together with the number included iv the Council's recommendations. This would, in the opinion of their adviser, Mr. Bush, be sufficient, and the public would have no reasonable cause to complain. That the present traffic had not been satisfactory all readily admitted. Further, as the report stated, the machinery at the power house was insufficient. Mr. Bush had been given to understand that improvements in this direction were going on. The City Council were fully alive to their responsibilities, and were prepared to go to the full length to make the company carry out in their entirety their obligations under the deed of delegation. They were not prepared, however, to lose their heads, and do anything not justified by circumstances reported to them by their officers. The company were themselves to blame almost entirely for not taking their obligations as seriously as they might. They had not studied the convenience of the public as a company should which held the powers under the deed of delegation that this company possessed. Since the Council had taken the matter seriously, however, and had recognised their responsibility, the company had effected improvements in the service, and the recommendations now made would leave no cause for complaint. The Council only dealt with the city traffic; it must be left to the suburban bodies to take such action as they tnough fit which would enable them to receive that consideration to which they were entitled. He considered the suggestion of the Grey Lynn Borough Council, that the local bodies should combine to engage the services of a second inspector, was a very wise one. and would receive the hearty co-operation of the Council. The present inspector had too many onerous duties to discharge to enable him to properly carry out the inspection of cars and the supervision of the service. There was oalj one fuxtfeer aspect of the gjiesjaon.

-which was mentioned in thecojnnssmica.tions .received which "had-not been considered by the Finance Committee, and that was the suggestion that there' should be a tramways board. If that could be brought about it would be desirable. So long as the management of the company was to remain in the hands of directors living 12,000 miles away continuous fraction must arise, which would be obviated if the management were here on the spot. This could only he provided by the City Council and other local bodies combining in the matter. He felt satisfied that any practical suggestion to that end would receive very favourable support; otherwise he thought that the present Council's action was on the right track to ensure that steady service that they might in all fairness demand. DISCUSSION BY THE COUNCIL. Mr. Tudehope said that the action ot the tramway employees, at the present time had intensified the position to a very large extent, but it had done one good thing; it had opened their eyes to the fact that the number of tramears carrying full complement of passengers was insufficient to deal with the traffic. Dr. Stopford said that he felt the public were at one mind with the Council, and that was to force the tramway company to follow up its deed of delegation. The men by their own action had brought to pasrs in a measure the state of affairs, and to his mind they deserved commendation. The Council should not leave the regulation of the tramway service to the employers. Autocratic Russia was no worse than the rules and regulations of the Auckland Electric Tramway Company. The council had allowed the conductors to take a. responsibility which the Council ought to have j taken on itself.

Mr. Bagnall said he agreed with the recommendations of the Finance Committee. The company had never risen to the occasion in providing the necessary accommodation. He thought that in the men's zeal they were going too far, and were not carrying their full complement. He himself had seen passengers refuused when there were vacant seats.

Mr. Farrell said he thought the Finance Committee were over zealous. There was a local factory specially fitted to turn out tram-cars. He believed those ears were a credit to Auckland. The recommendations of the Trades and Labour Council was to the effect that cars should be made locally. Yet the Finance Committee expected the Tramway Co. to turn out six cars at a moment's notice. When they asked for local industry to be considered, and then for six cars to be turned out in four months, then they were asking too much. In his opinion it was impossible to get the material here, and to construct six cars before December. He thought that the time should therefore be extended so as to give the company time to build the cars. The first portion of the number of cars should not be crowded into four months, and they should make their demands so reasonable that they could be readily complied with and not require an extension of time. A considerable portion of the material had to be imported, and the time suggested by the Finance Committee was not reasonable.

Mr. W. E. Hutchinson said he had no sympathy with Mr. Farrell. It was not their business to find out how the cars were made. The deed of delegation gave the tramway company CO days' grace before any fine could be imposed. He thought the Onehunga service should be looked into. It was seldom.' the residents of those districts could get a direct ; car. He suggested that a penny section car should be run before the Onehunga car and run the latter car for at least a twopenny section.

Mt. Smeeton thought the. Mayor had put his linger on the weak spot when he said the whole question was the company not being controlled locally. The directors of the company should be in Auckland to see what the requirements really were. It would be impossible to build locally the eight cars specified before December. He did not think the Finance Committee had allowed their zeal to run away with their judgment in demanding this extra number of cars before the end of the year. In addition to those built in Auckland, the number might be completed by cabling Home for cars.

Mr. Entrican supported the Finance Committee's recommendations. They had gone very carefully into the subject, had not dealt with the matter in any way of a panic They had got reliable data, and had come to a sane conclusion as to tramway requirements. In proportion to the population, there was a greater demand for trams in Auckland than on any other system in the world. They must have the cars now, even if they had to be imported. By cabling for, say, three cars, he did not think it would affect at all the local workshops. He wondered at sane men suggesting buying out the Tramway Co. The Tramway Company had rights under their deed of delegation, the same as the Auckland public- They were dealing with business men, and must deal with them in a reasonable way. He thought they might now ask for a more frequent and faster time-table. He considered more termini were necessary.

Mr. Glover said the tramway employees had not done right in what they had done. They should have been more gentle with the public, and should have given b little notice of their intention. The tramway employees had taken it into their head to enforce a municipal by-law, instead of the municipal authorities enforcing it themselves.

The Mayor then said that up to the present ten cars had been built locally. The local firm would be kept busy up to next June, the date stipulated for a certain number of cars to be completed. He felt the matter was so important that they must place the responsibility on the company to get the cars built wherever they liked, so long as they were in commission on those dates. They intended to see that those dates were adhered to, as far as possible; failing which they were goin<* to fall back upon the terms of the°deed of delegation. Another matter was that the machinery had been clearly proved to be inadequate at the powerhouse. That matter had also received the attention of the Finance Committee, although they had been given to understand that the company had already taken steps in that direction; if they did not do so there were powers in that deed of delegation of which the Council had full cognizance. The question of provision for proposed extensions was also covered in the committee's recommendation. The matter was now in such a position that the Council would be. able to regulate it, and they had after reviewing the exhaustive report of Mr. Bush, such data as would justify them in taking such action, as circumstances demanded.

Mr. Grey tnought that the engineer should report on .the question of carrying passengers for whom there was no \ seating accommodation, and moved that .he report be amended accordingly. It wag sat, to gay, tta fc&p& j^i

FinanqeCommittee that the, traffic inspector should fix the number, hut that it should be fixed on the recommendation of the City Engineer at a low? number. The Mayor seconded, and the amendment was unanimously agreed to, the reports being then adopted. The letters and .complaints received at themeeting were then, on the motion of Mr. A. J. Entrican, referred to the Finance Committee, and the Council passed on to deal with other business.