CHRISTCHURCH TRAMWAYS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 307, 24 December 1912, Page 11

CHRISTCHURCH TRAMWAYS.

THE FINANCIAL PROBLEM. (By Telegraph-—Own Correspondent.) CHKISTCHURCH. this day. The deficiency which the Christchurch Tramway Board has announced it will Jjave to face in March occupied a great deal of the attention of the Board at its mooting to-day. The Fares Committee submitted the following report: "The results oi the year* operation so far indicate that there will be a deficiency on the year's working of about £3,0U0 oil March 31 next. This amount does not make any allowances for the writing down of the preliminary expenses account, which still stands at £i:5.Kt37. The financial position of the Board has received close consideration for some time past. At the commencement of the winter months, with a view to assisting the finances, the services were curtailed in various dir>>ctio!is. and these have not been restored diiriii;_r the sninmcr months, (in the recommendation 0 i the committee various changes have been made, namely, the withdrawal of concession tickets and passes on Sundays, increase in the prices of special seaside excursion tickets, and the reduction of th" first section on the Woolston line to its orisinol length. It was hoped that the general position would so improve that no further chancre would he necessary, but the expectation has not been realised, and the committee is now reluctantly compelled to bring down furthc- recommendations in regard to the scale of fan's nt p rese nt in force. It is possible that a further reduction in service may he made immediately the summer trailie is over. \fter discussing the situation in detail the committee recommends as an instalment of reform n reduction of the concession given by means of trip tickets. The report was adopted. \ statement submitted to the Board showed that only five of thirteen lines were run at a profit during (he month ended December 4. which included carnival week.