THE SUBURBS AND TRANSPORT.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 185, 8 August 1927, Page 6

THE SUBURBS AND TRANSPORT.

I should like to offer one or two comments on the new transport proposals. In the first Place, it is a little surprising that after regaining their monopoly the city should find it necessary to increase fares to a higher figure than before the bus competition. la the second place, although the propotab suggest that the Tramways Committeeha* shown a certain amount of courage, would it not have been wiser to show a lot more and ask straight out for fresh legislation? Hat H not become obvious to them, as it was to most suburbanites to start with, that the dty could not do its duty to its own ratepayer! and at the same time to those of other local bodies! I hope it is no very cynical asperity (as Dr. Johnson said on a famous oceaekm) to suggest that suburban ratepayers get the worst of it. It has been urged from another quarter that the city's duty is purely to ite own ratepayers. That is an* excellent priuepte if the city had not already promoted and achieved legislation which has extended its duties far beyond those towards its own ratepayers. Nevertheless, the principle is so excellent that I suggest that the city sbseld as early as possible retrace its steps and take the initiative in having the legislation repealed. Recently when a private person was seeking for a license for a bus the Licensing Authority was very hurt and indignant at the suggestion of bias. I suggest that the day en which members properly realise how hmooroos their protest seemed to suburbanites will be the day on which they begin to take the step I am urging upon them. A MOUNT EDEN RESIDENT.