SHRINKING REVENUE.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 31, 6 February 1925, Page 3

SHRINKING REVENUE.

TRAMS FEEL COMPETITION. XEEIJ I'uK KKKKNI UMl'.-Nl. Competition from motor I.ii.es and incidentally the epidemic which mill- I tates apainst children trnvellinp- is! being felt koenlv by the. Auckland, Municipal Tram "service. 1U portin." in-l' nijihi to the City Council t!i- Mayor i (Sir James Goiison) sidi: "Tile esti-| mates submitted for the half-year asj far as operatim. costs ami nutooinos i.re concerned xvill about correctly represent the position, luit the revenue then pro-1 visional!}- anticipate,!, tmmeli- iii I_UIHI. I xvill not be realised. Il ivi'll l.c Mill- j stautiftlly below this umoiinl. and accordingly maintennnco is l,cin™ ;nljusteil to meet the lalest forecasted I position. At. the end of the present j month a further statei.-ent of finance, xvill be submitted without waiting for j the conclusion of the year. Thi- xvill • fully set out the position. The Council may then deem it desirable to i.-stie a further policy statomcii*. ! "Regarding; the r.voii«i ruction of I tracks, this work xvill have to lie curtailed considerably. It is impos.-ible. in view of the revenue position to continue maintenance xvurk at the rale authorised during the list live years. at which continued rate the whole of ihe tracks would have been reddidit ioiied | in another 18 montlii, but, thai i- not noxv financially possible. Also there, must be further retrenchment ill llie matter of the .st.afT. Many of the tracks in need of maintenance attention e.imiot at present lie undertaken. This is J impeiative from a financial pninl nl view, and as intimated previously in this report, may be considered at Ihe ] end of the present month when the siig-. frosted policy statement i- tinder cuii-I sideration. The Tramway management, I in the meantime, must, be instructed to] curtail all operations to bring outpoints for the year, under all headings, within the forecasted revenue now nl -.V.111.1j111l to £.->AS,OOTi, taking the former (inure as, a basis of present necessary adjustments of work as noxv recommended."' The Mayor said much good bad been done by the. recent, policy statement issued by the Council. The .situation would be carefully watched, and if ; necessary another policy statement I would be issued later. [