THE TRAM FARES.

Auckland Star, Volume LI, Issue 118, 18 May 1920, Page 7

THE TRAM FARES.

UNIVERSAL CONCESSIONS ON ORIGINAL SCHEME. PENNY TAX ON SUNDAY. A THREEPENNY MINIMTTM. XEWMARKET OBJECTS. AFTER RECEIVING SPECIAL treatment! The original scheme of increases on | the tramways has been varied, mainly! by the introduction of concession tickets ' to allow of a 25 per cent discount on I all fares over every line. To compensate ', in part for this no concessions whatever will be available for Sunday fares, and a separate increase of a penny a section ' will be made over the weekday prices, thus making the cheapest possible Sab- j bath ride a threepenny one. The ehil- : dxen's age is to remain at twelve years, and the one intermediate section remain- ! ing will be the one ♦-'tween the Captain I Cook Hotel and the June- j tion. The schedule is to be brought, into j operation on July 1 of this year. Simultaneous meetings of all the local | bodies concerned in the proposal were i held last evening, und, with the cx.cep- j tion of Onehunga and Newmarket, the i scheme was endorsed. At the special | meeting of the City Council the Mayor ! llf'r. J. H. Gunso'n) reported the de-j cisions of the conference between the Council and local bodies which ended on Wednesday evening last. The agreement is signed by representatives of the Auckland City Council, the Mt. Eden, Mt. Albert, and Newmarket Borough Councils, and the Mt. Roskill and One Tree Hill Rond Boards. As regards th<? fares,. the following table -will make the proposal clear:— Snnrtay ■Week-rtav fiires. fnres. Sections. Cnsh. Concession. Cash only. 1 .. 2(1 lid 3d 3 .. 3rt 2jd M 3 .. 4(1 3d 5(1 4 .. 5d 3Jd fid 5 .. 6d 44d ~A 6 .. Td 3W Sd The scale of concessions is to remain in operation until March 31, 1922, antl then to be reviewed. "Workers" Tickets. —The concession scale is identical with the rates proposed by the City Council for workers' tickets, except that for the latter it was proposed that the rate for 4, 5, and 6 sections should be 3/9 a dozen. • Consequently the only "workers' concession' , will be on five sections —3/9 for a weekly ticket of 12 trip 3. Children. —Full fares for children over 12 years—raising of the age to 14 years, as proposed by the City Council, was not endorsed by "the suburban authorities, and the proposal was abandoned. "Intermediate" section between Captain Cook Brewery and the Junction ■Hotel, retained at the request of the Newmarket Borough Council. Inter-

mediate sections between Stanley Street and Park Road on the Parnell route -will be abolished. The special Jd ticket between Ponsonby depot and the Three Lamps and the special 2d tickets between Heme Bay and the city will be discontinued, and the Heme' Bay route divided into two sections at Beaumont Street. The Royal Oak-and Onehunga return tickets will be increased in price from 8d and 9d to 10d and lid respectively. Following the submission of the City Council's proposals—the chief feature of which was the addition of Id to all present cash farce and the withdrawal of all concessions—the conference of suburban local authorities engaged two accountants, Messrs. G. W. Hutchison and J. A. Duncan, to examine the council's proposals. They submitted a report reviewing the tramway management's estimate of revenue from the fares proposed. Apart from -minor alterations, they added £7594, the estimated value of the concessions proposed to be withdrawn, and £21,559 representing the esrtra revenue to be expected from the natural increase of traffic, based on the average annual increase in the past 10 years. They therefore concluded that the operation of the City Council's proposals would increase the revenue by £ 134,766, as against the management's estimate of : £ 105,600. With a.n allowance of £19,200 for children's fares (owing to the suburban bodies' objection to the raising of the age-limit), and £13,000 for the r,O per cent, increase in Sunday fares (proposed by the suburban bodies), the additional revenue was estimated at £166,966. Messrs. Hutchison and Dunean also proposed the scale of concessions which has now been adopted (but with od for six sections, instead of 5Jd), and calculating .the whole traffic at concession rates, deducted £ 74,802 from the pre-gious figure, showing a net increase in revenue of £92,164. They therefore reported that the scheme of concessions proposed would bring about the desired financial result, and at the same time be equitable. The Mayor of Auckland, however, informed the City Council that the scheme -would yield only £75.000 extra revenue. A further conference between the City Council and the suburban bodies was held on .May 12,-when it was agreed to recommend for the acceptance of the respective local bodies the scheme of fare increases proposed by the City Council on April "29, provided the City Council agreed to the following "notifications: — (a) Concession tickets to l>e fiold at 1/6, 2/3, 3/, 3/9, 4/C, and 5/0 per dozen for from one to six sections respectively; (b) increased fares on Sundays to be charged to produce not less than a sum equal to a fare and a half—no concession tickets on Sunday; (c) children's age to remain at 12 years; (d) intermediate section Captain Cook and Junction to be retained. All parties agreed to facilitate obtaining the necessary Orders-in-Couneil for the fare increases, which it was agreed should be brought into force on July 1 next.

It was further agreed that the council should entpr into an agreement to give the concessions as modified for a term expiring on March 31, 1922, at wnieh date the council agreed to review the concessions in conference with the local ■bodies to determine as to the necessity for their continuaneeor of their increase in rate, or decrease in rate, ac financial conditions might at that time warrant. The .City Council will give an undertaking in writing that the suburban districts be provided with an adequate service within 12 months from July 1, 1920. OKEHUWGA DELIBERATIONS. The Onehunga Cotmcil deliberated until midnight in committee, when it "as decided to agree to tha terms submitted, except in respect of the charge for weekly tickets, the Council desiring to make the charge 3/3, instead of 3/9 U proposed ( and that on Sunday the clurge be fere tad a-h»lf.

CITY ACCEPTS. «75,000 SURPLUS ESTIMATED. MAYOR EXPLAINS AMENDMENTS. Speaking to the report from the conference, Mr.' Gunson traversed in detail all the amendments made to the original proposals. The concessions were enormous, he said, representing 25 per cent on practically all fares, aud in accepting them the Council had protected the interests of all their people who travelled outside the penny sot-Lion. It was a very ditlkult matter to arrange a scheme ot involved. The modifications presented a radical alteration; and tliey made such a tremendous difference to the revenue that they could not possibly be accepted without "some compensating proposal. Personally, he had always been opposed to increasing the Sunday fares, but there irae no other way. Double fares on Sunday had been suggested, but this he could not accept. The general manager of the Tramways Department, Mr. J. •I. Walklate, had gone into the new proposals and estimated the increase in revenue at £75,000. He was hoping for more, hut could not be certain of it. The new scheme was accepted with that idea, and it was also arranged that the rates would be reconsidered in a short time. The schedule of Sundflv fares he then quoted practically meant a penny tax on all Sunday tickets, with an elimination of all concessions. Thus the first section cost 3d, second 4d, 3rd -«1. and so on.

The proposal to increase the age of children travelling for half-price ha<l had to be abandoned. th« Mayor continued. It was decided that t-iie increase from 12 to 14 years would have to 20. but this proposal endorsed in the first instance by the Council had been opposed by the local 'bodies, and had to he swept away. Therefore the ape remained at 12 year?. The delegates had contended tnat the concessions would grant favours In families that were mor» than commensurate with the a-bandoned children's advantages. The intermediate section from Captain Cook to Newmarket was purely a concession to Newmarket, 'without which their delegates had refused to sign the egreement. It concerned the management, and was a traffic mntter rather than one of revenue. The Council had endeavoured to cut out these intermediates, that wore a nui°ance from the traffk- point of view, but Newmarket had declared that it was in their deed of delegation, and the promise had been that the fares only would be changed. In face of this attitude the intermediate see+ion had to be left. With this explanation the Council went into committee to discuss the details of the new scheme, and on resumption to open council the resolution was reported "That the modifications to the suggested tramway fares submitted by the conference of local bodies he accepted, and that the proposals of the conference be agreed to." This was carried. The Council also authorised the city solicitor to take necessary action covering the City Council and all local bodies concerned to legalise the fans increases, the City Council to benr full cost. The manager was also authorised to bring Jhe newfares into operation on July 1 next, and to take necessary steps to cancel or redeem for cash all unused concession tickets at that date. All the local bodies who are parties to the increase met simultaneoualv. and Newmarket and Onehunga were the only ones that Aid not endorse th» agreement. The Newmarket Borough Council -withheld its consent until the City Council agreed (1) to reconsider fares as well as concessions on March 31, 1f122: and (2) to allow a concession fare to Newmarket at the rate of 2d a ticket instead of 2-Jd, as agreed , . The Onehunga Soroueh Council came to no decision on the -question, having decided that it is first necessary tn confer again with "the Mayor of Auckland and the general manager of tramways to clear up certain issues. The main point is understood to be the ma-tter of workers' tickets, which now cost 2/fi per week, while the susrtrested scheme

advances the price to 3/0. NEWMARKET'S DEMANDS. PROPOSALS DOWN TO BEDROCK. PRINCIPLE OF UNIFORMITY. The adoption of the scheme by four out of the six suburban bodies was a good indication of its fairness, said Mr. Gunson, in discussing the result of last night's meetingt*. *'lt was to be regretted," he added, "that the Mayor of Newmarket had been unable to attend the conferences, a3 the other Xewmarket deleaates had appreciated the position at all Wα sittings. However, the City Council had'agreed to the scheme proposed by the local bodies' conference itself, and the support of Newmarket would therefore be expected. We will help Newmarket all we can," said the ilayor. "but the Council cannot consider further concessions. Those concessions now agreed upon were very fully adopted at the conference, and the Council went a long way to meet the local bodies in agreeing to the celling of the 3d ticket at 2/3 per dozen. The principle underlying the concession tickets is that there shall be a uniform concession ticket for the respective sections over the whole system, and that there shall he no distinctive tk-ket for any one portion of the system as rorapared with the remaining portions. This has all been threshed out, and T am sure that Newmarket understands this, and I am also sure that realising that this matter has a direct bearing on the decision of the local bodies' conference the Newmarket Council will see their way clear to accept the conference proposals. Tt ought to be emphasised that the City Council, in accepting the modifications adopted, has gone a #reat way towards, meetinsr the suburban local bodies, of which Xewmarket is one. and there are many reasons equally as weighty as those affecting Newmarket, concerning the other portions of the system, to which the City Council must hnve due regard. W'p are at absolute bedrock now, and« Newmarket's best interests •will not suffer by agreeing to the propoeals. I propose to communicate with the Mayor o/ Xewmarket and explain the whole position, as intimated, in the policy statement, submitted on behalf of the City Council." Speal-ing of the attitude of the Onehunga Bnrousrh Council. Mr. Gunson said that it had been throughout so reasonable that he anticipated no trouble in arriving at an aeTeement with that body. He has arranged to attend a snecial meeting of the Onehunga Boroueh Council to-night, in company, with the General manager of the tramways, Mr. ■Walklate. MOUNT B.OSKXLX,. The Mount Roskill Road Board met' last evening in committee to consider the question of tram fares, and decided to igree to the terms v they*-stand.

MT. EDEN FALLS INTO LINE. TRAMWAY BOARD, WANTED. ALSO OffLLDREN'S CONCESSIONS.' The Mt. Eden Borough Council unanimously adopted the proposale, but certain suggestions, the most important of I which was one that a Tramway Board! should be established, were put •forward. ' - The Mayor, Mr. C. Hudson, presided, ! and there were also present:—Messrs'.! J. W. Shackclford, K. H. Potter J. P. Hooton, L. .1011, .7. M. Melville, P. Me-1 Nab, and J. Smith. I After reviewing data pertaining to the ! proposals, Mr. Hudson proceeded to com- j pare the proposed fa.res with the present ' scale. This showed that there would be an increase of Jd on the penny fare in I'Mt. Eden Road, id on the 2d section in Mt. Eden IRoad and jd on the 3d eeution in Dominion Road. From the fares Mr. : Hudson touched on the various pro- j posals that were considered at the con-, fereme. A suggested flat rate of 2d was brought forward for consideration, but. Mr. Gunson advised that the Council j were averse to it. ' A suggestion re the establishment of a! Tramway Board, however, was more, favourably received, Mr. Gunson stating i that in the event of a Board being ap- ! pointed he would be quite willing for i the control of the tramways to be I handed over to that authority. j Mr. Hudson considered the suggested , establishment of such a body of great importance. The adoption of the proposals Ihcn followed on the proposal of Mr. Hudson, j seconded by Mr. Shaclwlford. Mr. ShaekeKord • pointed out that ' under the proposals Mt. Men would , not come in for one concession, whilst on | the other hand, Rormiera, the wealthiest i district, would benefit the most. He' advocated the establishment of a tramway board, and stressed the advanj tapes of a flat rate, citing experience he had obtained whilst in New York. Mr. Potter was opposed to extensions being defrayed out of loans, and suggested that the profit* should t>e J limited to CIO.OOO, a proportion ot. which only to b" nsed for extensions. I The fare* could he reduced according to! the profit over and above the £10,0UU

limit. ! Messrs. Garland and McNab contended j that the fares for children should have remained in force. The latter sug-! (rested that the difference coilid 'oo made up on the race crowds thai go to, Kllerslie by tram by charging them a sixpenny fiat rate. j Mr. Smith was immediately o?i his; feet, and said that he was opposed to i any differentiation between the people. ', With thai the discussion on thisj latter point dropped, and it was decided j to bring before the Council a sugfferttion I that they should consider the advisa-j bility of issuing concession tickets to i children. NEWMARKET'S OBJECTION. FIFTY PER CENT OV PRESENT CONCESSION. A full meeting of the New-market i Borough Council was held yesterday afternoon, with the Mayor. Mr! C. Leek, in the chair. Messrs. S. Donaldson and T. J. Watts, the two Newmarket delegates at the conference regarding tramway? increases, submitted the agreement \ sifrncd at the conference and reported I upon the matter. They recommended j that the proposals be endorsed ami accepted by the Council. This was not ! done. Two grounds of dissatisfaction. Mr. F. J. O'Meara moved, and Mr. G. E. Smerdon seconded a resolution declining to ratify the agreement unless fares were, reviewed as well as concessions on March 31, 1922. This was carried by the Council. A division was taken upon the next point, the voting being equal, but on the casting vote of the Mayor it was decided, upon the motion of Mr. O'Meara, 'That the Newmarket Boreugh Council is prepared to accept the agreement providing that the charge for threepenny section concession tickets be reduced to 2/ a dozen." The proposed charge is 2/3, and it was stated that when residents of Newmarket bought at the present time blocks of 100 tickets for 12/ C they enjoyed the advantage of a penny-half-penny fare to Newmarket. Therefore it was contended that the new scheme represented an advance of Gfty per cent, being an incre'aae from 1/6 to 2/3 a dozen. Councillors also urged a more frequent service to their borough, especially along the Khyber Pass route. MOTTNT ALBERT APPROVES. THIRD SECTION CARS WANTED. Little opposition was raised to the new proposals at the meeting of the Mt. Albert Borough Council, over which Mr. I T. B. Clay presided. The latter ex-1 plained that the principle of increasing the fares to pay the additional waged could not be disputed, and the only matter to be considered was an equitable distribution, and it had been proved conclusively to the delegates that the flat rate proposed was not practif-nble. He then explained the new schedule. Cr. Clarke raised the point as to the practicability of the increased concession system, where it had been found \xnsatisfactory before, when only 25 per cent of the tickets was of that nature. Now they would probably be 75 per cent. The Mayor explained that this -would probably be overcome by increasing the numbers of inspectors, while other mem-1

bers contended that a new system of collecting the wares was wanted. The inconvenience of the 2d section cars was al*o raised, and on the motion of Cr. Clarke it was decided to recommend to the City Council that they should supply sufficient third section cars to cater for the people living at that distance from the city. The schedule as drawn up at the meeting of delegates was tlven approved of unanimously. ATTITUDE OF ONE-TREE HILL. Considerable discussion ensued at the meeting of the One-tree Hill Road Board, attended by Messrs. H. Dobbie (chairman ). J. Rowe, Reg. G. Clark, F. Chapman, and R. Cruiekshank. The chairman submitted a statement, in which he held the increased revenue was shown as £151,000. He claimed that the deduction for concession tickets on the basis of the whole traffic was extravagant. ~Mr. Chapman, seconded by Mr. Rowe, moved that the proposal* of the joint conference be adopted by the Board. Mr. Cruickshank said thatthe Board shonld not be hurried in this matter, and moved that further discussion delayed a special meeting be called. The chairman, seconded the amendment, but on the vote it was defeated, and the former motion of the Board's approval of the proposals of the conference was put before the meeting. The motion was carried by three votes to two, Messrs. J. Rowe, R. G. Clark and F. Chapman voting for it and the chairman and Mr. B. Cnuctahaak against it. |