NORMAL TRAM SERVICE.

Auckland Star, Volume LI, Issue 37, 12 February 1920, Page 5

NORMAL TRAM SERVICE.

RESUMES TO-MORROW. UUVKRXMEKT SUPPLIKS COAL. At -iM) ]i.m. yesterday the Public Service Committee of the City Council j found it was possible to end the tramway i'Ut on Friday morning, when practically the nnrmil service will be resumed instead of the inconvenience to ; tlie public lasting for three weeks, as «as expected. This pleasing change of position comes quite as a surprise, because it was not until yesterday afternoon that Mr. W. J. Holdsworth, chairman of the Public Services Committee, and Mr. I. J. Walklate, general manager of the City Tramways, waited upon the Mayor and informed* him that the Government had juet notified it was willing to let the Council have 500 tons of coal from the Kaikoura. This offer was promptly accepted, and the matter «• laid before the committee, which adopted the recommendation of the manager, that the tramway cut should end tonight. As some of the men are off owing to the cut, it will obviously take a day or two before the full service is re-

slimed. Mr. •'. H. (iunson stated this morning thi;t until yesterday afternoon, when he was informed that the 500 tons of coal were offered, he had no hope of the normal tram service being resumed before Saturday week. ''This," said the Mayor. "coupled with the coal saved during the ten days the tramway curtailment lasted, provides sufficient in stock to warrant the immediate resumption of the normal service of ears. Of course. its future will now depend upon the supplies of local coal not falling below what has been delivered from the mines for some time east. That, of course, is a matter beyond the Council's control.

"The resumption means the complete service within a few days, including the usual one on Sundays. The 500 tons of coal will tout the Council much more money than that paid for local supplies, as it is sea-borne, but we had to consider in the first place the public convenience, and in the second the matter of revenue from the trams, the latter hi:ving necessarily suffered during the ten days" curtailment of the service. The cut was absolutely necessary when it was made, and the earlier restoration of the normal service is owing to the efforts of the management during the last fortnight to secure additional supplies of coal."