THE TRAM FARES.

Auckland Star, Volume LI, Issue 114, 13 May 1920, Page 5

THE TRAM FARES.

" i A TENTATIVE AGREEMENT. | SIGHED BY DELEGATES. ! MODIFICATION OP CITY PROPOSALS ! As a result of the conference at the City Council Chamber last night among { delegates of the various local bodies j directly interested in the raising of the tramway fares, a tentative agreement was reached. The Mayor, Mr. J. H. i Gunson, presided, and Mr. J. J. Walk- j late, general manager of the tramway : department, was present to explain; knotty points and technicalities to the ; delegates. It is understood that the j agreement arrived at is a modification j of the proposals submitted by the City ■ Council, but the details will not be made public until the agreement is confirmed by the respective bodies. Meanwhile t'.ie delegates all signed an undertaking to present it to their several Councils and Boards at meetings to be held next Monday night for the purpose. A special meeting of' the City Council has [ also been convened for the same purpose ] on Monday night. . VARIOUS SUGGESTIONS COMPARED. ADVOCATE OF FLAT RATE. In view of the keen public interest in this question of the increased tram fares, the opinion of one who has given a great deal of consideration to the subject of fare systems is worthy of notice. Mr. H. Dobbie had 20 years' experience of railway management, and while in Whangarci he introduced the stage system on that section of the railway's. He remarked that this system worked successfully for four years, and was changed only when the whole general manage- j ment of the New Zealand railways was altered. Under this stage system railway tickets became practically jsquiva-1 lent to current coin in the district, and i were often used for currency.

In discussing the various schemes for raising the fares, Mr. Dobbie remarked: ''The only echeme which avoids the present out-of-date system of collecting fares in the cars is £ome form of flat rate. The conductor will then remain at the rear of his car and be on the spot to gee that the passengers are clear before ringing the starting bell, or to put on the brake in case of emergency. The fares, will be paid .by the passengere as they get , into the rear of the car, either by cash into a register or by ticket into a locked box. All exits will be from the front end of the car. This will practically insure the collection of all fares, stop the serious leakage that is now going on, and nut an end to the jostling and crushing caused by the conductor forcing his way through the crowded passengers. The above remarks apply to a double zone system, except that the conductor 'woulri have to go through his car when passing from one zone to another."

When asked how he would get over the trouble of the rush hours in the ticket and single entrance method he ndvocates. Mr. Dobbie replied that it had been found quite workable in other large centres. He contended that by using one end of the car as an entrance and the other as an exit a good deal of confusion would be saved, while the usi; of tickets would become just as easy to the public as is the use of stamps for posting letters. •

In reply to a further contention by the authorities that the. zone system had been tried and proved a failure in America, Jifr. Dobbie remarked that he had seen no definite data to prove ..the' failure of the system, but had heard only generalities in support of the argument. The following is a comparison in simple terms he has worked out for the different suggestions brought forward:—

I : THE SCHEME OF FARES. PROPOSAL' FROM FONSONBY. AGITATION FOR EQUAL SECTIOKS. '•Tor Tears we have suffered the injustice of paying on shorter tram sections than other districts, is our golden opportunity to have liwnulie 3 removed," stated Mr. C. F. Bennett, ac chairman of a meeting of about 50 residents of Ponsonby in the Jervoie Hall last night. He explained that the object of the meeting was to bring before the City Council, now a revision of the tram fares was underconsideration, a proposal that the principle for equal fares for equal distances on the trams should rule on all lines. At preI sent they had the anomaly of a long penny eection to Khyber Pass, a shorter I one to Pitt Street, and a yet shorter I one on the Heme Bay line to Freeman's! Bay. The meeting was in no way] organised in a epirit of hostility to the I rise in tram fares, which residente I recognised was necessary, but with a j desire to place some helpful criticism of j existing anomalies before the City Couu- ! oil co- that all users of the trams should bear the burden equally. One proposal was that the fares should be computed Jon a route .mileage basis. It might be ; replied, that this would lead to congee- ! tion in the city area Dy penalising people I who lived far out. His suggestion wae j that this be met by greater concessions I for residente iv areas beyond ■■ the present threepenny sections. , „ .

Mr. J. B. Johnston moved that all fares ibe computed on the ronte mileage, and that ait sectional fares be for equal distances. He contended that it was absurd to have oifc' section a mile and a-half in length, and another only a mile, as at present. Mr. E. Aldridge suggested that this anomaly might be more plainly expressed if the differences between the present penny sections were expressed in chains. ri-v .1 :-_._ ****** that +lin uwtinn

to Khyber Pass was 110 chains, to I Pitt Street 55 chains, and that to Freeman's Bay 53 chaine. "Mr. G. C. Codlin suggested as an addition to the motion that a limitation be made confining tie principle' to the first i three sections from the city, co as not Jto disturb the policy of providing cheap transport over longer distances. I In a general discussion a proposal that : the .burden of increased fares be borne I by each section in ecjual proportions was i mooted, but wae not pressed, the chair- : man pointing out that while the residente wanted an equitable arrangement it would not be wise to enter into competition with the council's expert advisers as to how this could best be achieved. What' was wanted was" an equitable arrangement to meet all sections! of the tramway users. Mr. : Johnston agreed to an amendment of ;Wβ motion "that all sectional fares be computed for equal distances on all routes, and that all sectional fares be for equal distances." After Messrs. M. J. Savage and H. X. Bagnall' had explained that the council was ready to receive any help possible on a subject on which there were many differences of opinion- as to securing an equitable scheme, the motion was carried unanimously. A discussion was promoted on a suggestion that the revenue be increased only sufficiently to meet the added running expenses and increased cost of plant and material. The chairman explained that the idea was that the cost lof extensions should not* come out of j profits, but should be provided by special ! loans over the areas benefited. Mr. i Aldridge remarked- that one might as well ask the council to reduce the water rate so as to have no profit on the water account. Mr. Johnston considered the subject a contentious matter which might overshadow the meeting's primary intention, and, after all, the council had to Be trusted on matters of policy. Mr. R. Strong favoured the American zone system, but another speaker pointed out that in America the zone system was being dropped. Mr. Savage stated that he was strongly in favour of development work lie ing done out of loan money, and not out of profits. The subject was eventually dropped. A proposal that Messrs. Bagnall and Savage should place the meeting's reso-lution-before the council was met by both councillors declaring that the most effective way of impressing the council was by a strong deputation, 'backed up uy a : full gallery of sympathisers. It way consequently decided to send a deputation to the council, and the following were appointed for the duty:—Messrs. H. Adams, \V. T. Campbell, C. F. Bennett, G. C. Codlin, W. H. Cooke, J. Drummond, J. B. Johnston, W. McMath, W. Oliphant, and A. L. Souter. Votes of thanks were paased to Mr. A. L. Souter. who had secured the data on which the speakers had been enabled to place, their views before .the meeting, and to' Mr. T\JV H. Cooke' for' moving to nave' the question given publicity.

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