TAKAPUNA TRAMWAYS.

Auckland Star, Volume LII, Issue 303, 21 December 1921, Page 10

TAKAPUNA TRAMWAYS.

. I PROPOSED NEW TARES. mecr .isKD BY COXF-EREXCE. 4 A STEP 1-ORWAKU. A special of I ho Taka|n.nu Borou"li i ouncil ivns hold last eveninfr. in the Council Chanihei , . to mccl a delegation from the Takapuna Tramway and Ferry Company for consideration of proposals submitted by the company for alterations of Hie steamer and tramlav faxes. The Mayor (Mr. A. M. Gould) presided, and Itip company was represented by Mew*. A. >. C. Brown and H. (■'HHllim (dirootorel and Mr. .1. Kerr (manapnri. Mr. Brown apologised lor tlie absence of tlie Hon. K. Mit<-hpl«on from the pubcommittee appointed by tho xompany's heard of dire.tors. They were not authorise.!, ho said, lo make any fimil arrangements, but he thought he might -ay that any recommendations made by them would'be iiccepted hy the board of directors. mi-: pkopo&eu i o>'lFjS>iox^. The proposals submitted were ns fol°Boat Fare*".- llalf-jcaily ticket, ci 13/: man's annual ticket. U W/0: lady k annual licket. £1 -'/0: li: trip ticket. •■/;•,: fnn»}V Hiinunl iliusbnnd ami wile). E« 17/6: family annual ihnshand unci wife and I chiWVi. £7 10/: family annual (husband anil wife am - children*, £1 IT f,: family annual (hUSOaml snfl wife ami :i childi-eni. £X 2/B: each ndfli"ional HUM 7/0 extra, chil.lrcn bciUR uu.ler IS rears of age iThe nliove are the prices ■ •hw"-«l by tlie Devonport Steam berry i-ompaiiv for tickets of those classes to Devonport. save that family tickets cover children "P to 21.) Tram Fares.— Kxiothiß train fares to be doubled, save Hint (li a rebate of M. be innde'on rrsidPlUs" tickets from the thin action, mnkins the return faro 10.1. ii.slea.l , of 1 and (-'I no iurreasp bo made on fares of VhUiiren attonrtiHK i.x-nl schools travel- ] line on seuonl hour trains. Wltli regard to ; !!oat fares, the to j lirTlie Pevmiport-I limiula," . This Company also to be b0u.,,1 to reduce such prices acorilingly if sm-ii induction be mnde by the lievonport bteqm l-errv Company: this Company. howcviT. not to He bound to follow cut rates made by I lip Dpvonport Company to dispose OI onnosition. , . Comparing present and proposed new charge's in tabular statements submitted to the council, Mr. Brown said these Fhowe.l that a man residing at .Uayswater would save £3 7/0 per year. 'n woman £"> 2/6. and husband and wile £5 -2ni. with a proportionate scale as leaards families. A man residing at Ihc fir&t section and making six return 1-ips to the city in a week would save c~> 15/0: at the second 1 section, .£3 3/6 n year: at thu third section. £3 3/0 a year: and at the. fourth sectio"n. 11/0 a Year. Kach extra trip more than the six allotted on sections 1, 2. :"!. and 4 would save respectively S<l. (id. (id, and 4d to each passenger. A further table submitted showed that a resident taking out a half-yearly sea-t-on ticket on tram and steamer would save under the new scheme £-2 £/ a halt-year from Eayswnter, X 2 0/ from the first section. £1 3/ from the second section, t: 1 2/ from the third section, iind 3/ from the fourth section. In Ihe ruse of extra trips a similar saving to thai on the annual ticket would be effected. Mr. Drown said the proposal differed from tlie last offer in regard to a conccs--siou to third section residents and no increase to schoolchildren usiii" the trams sit school hours. The company had also abandoned tho right to surcharge boat fares in the event of increased running costs. T.'.'P concessions now mnde represented about tOOO a year in favour of the residents. The company stood to i.ose very heavily on tiie revenue from the residents to wliom ihay were granting substantial concession*. -. It was losinf; heavily on the trams and making profits on the steamer, and it wished to put things on a more businoss-liko footing. Summer residents and weekly travellers under tho proposals would save id daily at the first section. Daily travellers would pay 1,3 instead of 1/-2 :it the second section. 1./3 instead of 1/4 at the third, and 17 instead of 1/4 nt the fourth. ESTIMATED BEVEXUE AND PROFIT. The directors liad very carefully considered the figures submitted and were fcatislied with tiu-se conclusions. They anticipated that tlie proposed fa reswould briii-; in a revenue of ij-37,950 » year, and entail an expenditure of ■L':JI,O4S, leaving a difference of (JtiOOO | a year. The company had iixed the nsseta at £73,000, and nt least £3000 should be written oil , for annual depreciation. Thu income ta\ on the remaining £0000 would lie at the very least £300. leaving £-2500 to pay a 3 per cent, dividend o n £42,388 capital. The balanep to carry forward would In- oulv £"81. '1 lie company wa» content to make .". per cent dividend, and rely ior an increase on tile advancement of the district. So loujr as it was losinthoueauda cveiy year on ihc tramway's the residents could not expert it to be pioneers and evolve new time-tables. In answer io question* by the .Mayor, Mr. Brown said the <«ugge«tlon was ilnit tlie fares proposed should -;e |icrmaneni. The Mayor said lie presumed that the proposals were based on increased running costs and wages, and remarked that there was a possibility of expanses beiiis reduced, while then was also the possi'biliiy of greatly (Increased costs •with the introduction of hydro-electric power. Mr. Brown said the company would be perfectly williug to enter into, any arrangement to meet these objections, though he could not imagine any electric- concern competing with trams run at one penny per section. On the other. hand, if they put the concern on a business footing they would have' every chance of gcttiTur elccirim-ation when power was available. , - After some further argument the flavor said he Was not sure that he could, on prjnciclc, ain-ce with the proposals submitted. The council -was hound to consider tlie interests of the ratepayers, and it seemed to him that tlie question wri o whether it would bo to the advantage of the borough to agree to alter the terms of the deed of delegation in the manner desired, which would have the cll'cct of giving the company practically a monopoly on the water. J-le moved "Thai the council thank the representatives of the Tramway Company for their explanation, ami this meeting adjourn for fun her consideration of the matter until the first meeting of the coifncil in the Xew Year." This was agreed to unanimously. - I