THE TRAMWAYS.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18206, 17 October 1924, Page 11

THE TRAMWAYS.

I CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM. | ADDRESS TO CITIZENS' ASSOCIATION. An address en the Christchureh i.r.<niway system was delivered by r Machin at the annual meeting ot the Christchureh Citizens' and Association last night, Mr 0. T. J. Alpcrs (president) being in the chair. In view of the approaching Tramwa\ Board elections, said the spcakci. it was an opportune time for discussing the tramway undertaking, which h<id over a million and a half of money employed in it. " Sound and reasonable criticism of public bodies can do nothing but good, but critics should know what they are talking about," said Mr Machin. "How many people, for instance, who cry out .for extension of our tramway system know we have already the longest mileage of permanent way in the Dominion, having 53j miles of lines, against Wellington 's 2S miles and Auckland's 30 miles? We aro so spread in Cl..istchurch that our population per street mile of tramways is only 2.156, against Wellington's 3392, and Auckland's 3934. Moreover, there arc 40,000 bicycles in Christchureh, or ono machine fqr every third person. The amounts spent per head per annum on tram riding were: Auckland £i 18s, Wellington £-1 Is Sd. Dunedin £3 2s 2s, Christchureh £2 7s 4d. In Auckland the average load of passengers per car mile was 11.11 persons, in Wellington. 1.1.45, in Dunedin 12.', and in "Christ-church 7.49. "This comparison leaves us littlo cause for complaint about overcrowding, for if we crowded our trams to the average' extent, of Auckland and Wellington, we could carry 13,000,000 more passengers each year without running an extra, car," ho said. "This would bring us in the very satisfactory extra income of £135,000. Our city cars carried only . 25,000,000 la3t year, while Auckland's carried 55,000,000,. and. Wellington 's 37,000,000. Our receipts per car mile were only 19.25 pence, against' Wellington's 28.51 pence, and Auckland's 28.43 pence., Tho receipts per car mile in Sydney and Melbourne were 29.61 pence and 22.85 pence respectively. .'. . What • docs Christchurch charge- on weekdays, on the average, for a mile ride? Ono penity! Actually. 1.03 d. Wellington charges 1.22 d, Auckland charges 1.17 d, and Dunedin charges .97d, or the sariie 'small fraction under one penny that Christchurch is over it. If our trams charged tho average of'the Auckland and Wellington rates, they would have taken over £13,000 more out of our pockets last year for the same service. Taking the average on Sundays only, tho position is rather different: Dunedin ].56d per mile, Christchureh ' 1.23 d, Wellington 1.22 d,, and Auckland 1.17 d. Auckland and Wellington do not charge extra on Sundays. Melbourne not- only chariges extra on Sundays, but on holidays also. On concession fares, Christchurch leads Australasia with .66d per mile." If the - average of all adults' cash fares, week-days, Sundays, and concession fares, was taken, Christchureh, with ,!)7d was second only to Sydney, which charged .73d. The Christchureh average was practically a'halfpenny .per mile, 'actually ,54d; 22.8 per' cent, cheaper than' Melbourne, 8.1 per cent: cheaper than Auckland, 8:4 "per centcheaper .than Dunedin,. 8.4 ..per oent. cheaper .than Brisbane. These-facts showed tho. Christchureh tram rider to be in a distinctly favourable-position. The administration >of the Christchurch tramway system was good, and during the last threo years is was pleasant to note that while the revenue has been increasing, the operating expenses have been decreasing: Tho peak of expenses was '£lßts]uoo in the year 1921 and 1922. This is- now down to £175,000. The ; earnings have riscu during this period from £250,000 to £270,000. A comparison of , administration ' costs showed Christchureh 3.0 per cent, of revenue, Wellington 0.6, Auckland 4,6. . Mr Machin forecasted that it might be found a. sound-policy ,to experiment in accelerated services. It appeared as if the tram running on tracks had had its'day and at any rate they could not impartially suggest the laying of more permanent tracks in Christchureh. - Tho trackless tram with overhead wiro had been suggested, but' it seemed that tho Unfettered bus would be tho thing for the future. .. . . . , , Mr Machin paid a, tribute to tho efficiency shown in administration by tho Board and its staff. He referred to board members' honoraria and said that he considered that the. time had come when it should be discontinued. He advocated tho abolition of multifarious local bodies in favour of local government by capable- commissioners under one central body such as a Board of Works. This system would obviate the pressing of p'arocUfs? claims to the detriment of the general interests and tho saving in the cost of elections, honoraria, etc., would pay for the salaries of managing officers. In. conclusion he 6aid that the Association had been guided by a-concern for the whole local ■ community in nominating its, three candidates for the Tramway Board election. In thanking the speaker for his at?-, dress, the_ president, Mr O. T. t»Alpers, said that Mr-Machin hadmasterca the difficult art of making agurea interesting. Mr AJpers paid a tribute to the Christchureh tramway system which,, he said, was above comparison with any other system in the Dominion Ee then invited discussion. Air G. Peaxoe, acting chairman of une Tramway JBoard, feaid (that far from being critical, Mr Machin had been flattering in his remarks upon tho Board s activities. The aim of the Board lad been always to give the people as cheap a service as was consist-ent-Bath a small profir. The Mayor ('Mr J. A. Flesher) who is a member of the Board, also spoke, hie declared that no individual should expect a public service such as the tram service,. to .be rendered at less than cost-. The Board should ■Cave an entirely-free hand and no proposal for extension should be adopted unless it iiad the full approval of the Board, irrespective of decision by a poll. After all., only a small proportion of the ratepayers .voted. If that system had oeen adopted in tho past, the Board would have avoided many mistakes. Several other members also ?poke and a vole of thanks was accorded Mr Machin.