TRAMWAY FINANCE,

Press, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14546, 24 December 1912, Page 8

TRAMWAY FINANCE,

The figures laid before the Tramway Board at yesterday's meeting reveal a situation more serious than has previously confronted the Board. The results of the operations of the year so far indicate that there will be a deficiency of £3000 on March 31st, which amount makes no allowance for the writing down of the preliminary expenses account, which still stands at £13,867. Moreover, the table of receipts and expenses on the various lines for November, presented by Mr Pearce, though it does not tally with Mr Pearce's gloomy statement that only two lines are paying their way, is still disquieting. Under the circumstances it is surprising that the Fares Committee should have presented a report that dealt with only a small part of the big problem confronting it. After stating that "the financial position of the " Board has received close consideration " for some time past," recapitulating the recommendations previously made, and setting out three methods by which traffic revenue might be increased, the committee contented itself with making recommendations regarding the trip ticket. Moreover, the committee says frankly that it "recognises that the in- " creased revenue which it is expected " will result from the above changes " will not bo sufficient to meet the anticipated deficiency, but is not yet " ready with any further recommenda- " tions." This suggests that, owing to a conflict of interests on the committee, the members cannot agree upon a comprehensive scheme of fare-revision. Bub tho position with which the Board is faced is so serious that tinkering with the problem as the Board is doing is of little use. It must be faced boldly, and looked at in all its bearings, and in the framing of the necessary alterations, some at least of the interests must give way to the welfare of tho whole system. The committee is right in holding that, in the best interests of the system and the public, further reductions in the services cannot bo made in a wholesale manner. Possibly a few unprofitable trips might be struck out, but if the time-table is cut down considerably, pcoplo will be discouraged from riding, and lose tho "tram habit," and tho Board's second state will be worse than its first. There may be something to be eaid for tho shortening of tho sections, but we think that tho main remedy must be changes in tho fares. There is no doubt that some of tho concessions given to the public are too liberal, and the Board was justified in adopting the committee's recommendations regarding the trip tickets. Tho system of trip tickets hitherto in vogue has apparently given rise to practices never contemplated by tho Board, and in selfdefence it has had to hedge the tickets round with further restrictions. We presume tho residential ticket-holder will bo tho next to bo touched in the pocket. Ho has hitherto been under greater restrictions than the holder of the trip ticket, but with discounts varying from 33 l-3rd to 51 per cent, he has been, so well treated that he has really no cause to complain loudly if the Hoard asks him for a little more. But the whole question of meeting tho deficiency should be dealt ■with in a comprehensive way, and wo hope- this will l>6 clone beforo long. No doubt the measures proposed will be unpopular, but it is tho Board's duty to see that tho tramways pay their way.

If there were no such thing as Christmas handed down to us, it might be necessary to invent it, so that there might be a fixed time every year when everybody would think of eomebodv else, and soften his and her egotism by some act of generosity or unselfishness, and by taking part in festal joys with family or friends. Grumbling at some phases of Christmas is chronic, but we doubt if there are many people who really think that the customs of Christmas—especially tho custom of giving are bad; tho grumblers resemble the man who growls at his wife occasionally without being any less fond o f her.

There are, we believe, a few peoplo who honestly think that- presentgiving at Christmas is an unnecessary sentimental survival, and should bo abolished in a practical age, but they are not likely to make any greater impression than they deserve to make. Christmas customs, with such changes as are made desirable by differences of climate, aro part of tho true sentiment that sweetens life, and when one feels that Christmas (wo aro, of course, not dealing with the religious side of the festival) is a bore, it is a pretty good sign that one is growing older in spirit as well as in years.

For most people this should be a merry Christmas. These aro prosperous times, and there are few in the Dominion who cannot afford to celebrato the season in some way or other. The scenes in town during the last few days have shown that people are entering into the celebration of the season with a zest perhaps unparalleled, and giveji fine weather it should bo a Christmas of record good cheer and enjoyment. But, the religious aspcrC of Christmas apart, the great value of the festival lies in the opportunities it gives for thinking of others, and wo hope that our readers will, in their enjoyment of the season, both mentally and practically, those unfortunate p< ople to whom Fortune- in one way or another has been unkind. "With this reminder of tho need for sympathy, we wish our readers a happy Christmas.

"\Vo havo soon, many disquieting statements about tho health of children at Home, but nothing so serious as one cabled to tho Sydney "Sun," that, according to tho official report of a medical officer, one-fifth of the children in tho elementary schools of Great Britain aro of "so low a grade" that they are unsusceptiblo to any form of education. "Tho Times," commenting on this, says it shows that the health of tho children of the labouring classes is "extremely defective." Tho general causes are not far to seek— overcrowding and insufficient and unsuitable food. Some of the best minds of tho country are engaged on the difficult problems of poverty and housing, but tho remedies for the evil of unsuitable feeding and bad bringing-up of children gonerally, are plain for all educated people to see. Among the causes of tbo ill-health of children "The Times" gives a high place to our old friend the baby's comforter, which, it says, has probably been responsible for more deaths of infants than any other disease not.-*! in tho report? "Tho Times" # thinks its salo should be prohibited by law; perhaps if Mr John Burns remains in office long enough ho will take this drastic measure to eradicate an evil against which he is never tired of spoaking.

On tho subject of tho Panama Canal Mr J. R. Mann, a member of the United States House of Representatives, is rather amusing. It would be impassible, he said and implied, to submit the tolls question to arbitration, because, since the interests of all other States were opposed to those- of America, the American case would not get an impartial hearing. But jn his opinion Congress, which had al&eadj decided the question, was a "fair jury." Why Congress, representing one side, should bo any fairer than The Hague Tribunal, representing the other, he did not say. "Wo commend all this American opposition on the . Panama Canal question to the attention of those people who think that arbitration can be relied upon to settle all disputes.

A close study of the operations in Thrace may be behind tho purchase, announced in tho Sydney "Sun," of twenty portable wireless plants by the British War Office. These equipments are mounted on light waggons, which are capable of keeping pace with horse artillery and cavalry. It will be remembered that in Mr Ashmead-Bart-lett's vivid description of the Turkish debacle, it was stated that the Turks were hopelessly defectivo in arrangements for communicating betv/ren the different parts of their huge ars»y. In fact, Nazim Pasha, instead of being at tho centre of an elaborate system of inter-communication, knew only what was going on in tho area swept by his field-glasses. This problem of a Com-mander-in-Chief keeping in touch with all his forces is one of tho most difficult in modern war. In tho old days a commander saw the whole of the operations being worked out in front of him; now a great battle is really a series of battles spread over a largo area. The Japanese line in the battle of Mukden was nearly 100 miles from east to west. Only by n highly-organised system of inter-communication and control can a commander in such a case keep a grip of his far-flung forces, and the uses of wireless telegraphy, operated by light portable outfits, are obvious.