CHILDREN ON TRAMS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 297, 15 December 1936, Page 6

CHILDREN ON TRAMS.

THE CONCESSION QUESTION,

(To tlie Editor.)

I Tt was announced in a recent issue of the "Star" that in future the tramway concession j cards for school children will be issued monthly. Tt was further stated that this system is in use in Wellington and has been for the past thirty years. If the system used in Wellington to-day were to he applied in Auckland in its entirety, surely ive should all he very satisfied. In Wellington the school fares are lower. For example, a two-section, school card costs 2./0 per month. On the payment of 6d extra per month a pupil may travel on Saturday morning on the same sections as those travelled daily to school. The schoel cards are available on five days (Monday to Friday, inclusive) until 6.30 p.m., and until 1 p.m. on Saturday. Special trams convey the children to the schools in the mornings, in some cases crossing from one route to another in order to convey the children to the school gate. In fact the children of Wellington are decidedly more fortunate than their brothers and sisters in Auckland. Many of the children living here go to the city on Saturday morning for elocution, music and other lessons, and we parents have to find the fares if we wish our children to be cultured. Our children, too, often attend lessons after school. Sometimes these lessons conclude after 4.30 p.m. With the advent of the monthly ticket this means that the fares must be paid twice if the cards are available only until 4.30 p.m. I have heard of children who have, after lessons, been compelled to leave the tram and walk home three sections. In one case a collection was taken up in the tram so that a girl who had been on legitimate business and had been-kept late might ride home after a hard, long day. These children are the future mothers and fathers of this city, and surely the same concessions could be extended to them as are in vogue elsewhere. INTERESTED.