TRAM REVENUE.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 19986, 22 July 1930, Page 17

TRAM REVENUE.

£4OOO DECREASE. upturns for past year. JUMPBTITION OF PRIVATE CAR. * au t,staiitial decrease iu the ■Jiings of the Christchurch trams the year ending March olst Ldiown in the annual statement of JJJaue presented to the Tramway • Sard yesterday afternoon by tho & Manager (Mr Frank JEfflpson). He asserts that the JJlvate car is partly responsible for this. ' Salient poiutH in the report are: /TT The trams and buses earned over les« last year than the year below and £l2, -140 less than in 1927. J) Trß ms ami buses carried over 142.02* fewer passengers last year than UTyear before and over half a million - |e« than in lf'G(3) The severest decline is shown in Sunday traffic, which accounts for over 146,000 of the decrease. U) Since 1927 the Board's operating espouses have fallen by £18,977. During the past year they have fallen J>y over £3OOO. <3) The surplus in the tram revenue account is approximately £3061, as against £12,843 for last year. (6) In the omnibus revenue account there is a deficiency for the year of £3567 13s 9d as against £5084 for the previous year. (7) The report of the Government Statistician' places Christchurch in the best position in New Zealand as regards sinking funds and reserves. Details of Revenue. The following table sets out the •araiass Of buses and trams over the past fivo years:— Earnings. Per Car Milo. f d. .. 379.484 18.203 |s!f .. 390.657 18.463 W \£?nW tl : 285,11(5 19.298 MS9 i»^ 563 ' 276,688 19.357 m %^!o 378 : "4,248 18.77! :: 111 decreased by . . 12,440 Passengers carried: 1926 ... • • 25,052,032 ■ • " 1027 —.. • 25,693,662 1&28 • • • ■ 25,495,878 102» .. .. 24,837,758 I9SO .. •• 24,495,734 "The introduction of a penny secftoa ia the City in August, 1929, a HigM increase in certain cash fares tFUb a substantial redaction in coiicest ticket*, did not arrest the decline arainga, which had previously been : tektieed," states the report. " Those fudges really accelerated the drop. S i "The main cauQp is: one which all K tftrtnty concerns are experiencing j' I' ftfrfecrease in the use of private motorrj Mtft, whose' owners not only transport IJ- ftcmselves and families, but also pick f n? people in large numbers waiting at tramway stopping jatoces, earnings • were -£26,409 less m in 1827. T&erf) has been no change tn fares on-Sundays, yet the earnings on that day. have declined very markedly thia last year: Passengers Bevenue. , ' 1087 .. 1,769,118 27,490 i l , 1928 .. 1,089,282 90,244 .. 1 739,879 26,988 yK-SS .. 1,493,400 82,668 Ll l ' "This is another evidence of the I®iSfeit 'of increased use of private K«feier-ca»' It satisfactory to note wwtlfat the earnings per car mile ao not llPifcOW mtteh variation, indicating that ii'U'are' has been taken in the supply Of jpSJii fpr the traffic Which is available. ' . Ope*****? Expoww». . . operating expenses are set out : ■psr.CarMlle. . J i * 200,768 18.075. KJfe.- ■*, - <:• limm. . ST-' i 13 671 IS ''n'fcMW 411,416 205,878 13.671 I'. . 107,089 13.378 t 11)1,919 13.800 -Sfajjjpfttf the operating expenses : by £18,977. V.i to "Bfvwftfcktf year, was asked to for permanent way '^'^JdhflKeosts not come ' expected; but the conditibn of track 'Air inflated rubber ' bllgipiaKj : ' having a suction effect t do more damage ' r ' so 'although costs ImnlßtF eome down much -comfort l TilfiMßaSlP'liJM l ' the thought that if ;' of road material had " "maintenance costs would ' i »ttch higher. ' costs per chain of * ' during recent years have i* «e r chain. £ s. d. ' " "Ifwe ■ .. • • 1 * I ' v , -m , •• 2 WJI. ' .. 317 8 IMfr .. 3 19 11 * .. .. 3 8 2 ' " 1925 " | 5 5 jMI • " "1 33 0 :: Eeserve Funds, f! ftothttlng to the reserve funds the 4 ' eftinffient I submit is to to the fact that the deprec a««erve is dwindling considerably. 1i34, £778,750 of the debenture ■ becomes due, and i* ' f To meet these liabihties the has a sinking fund of°Bly 'ln 1934, this will have mto £253,000. ' i ltrth . T depreciation fund if a° _ 'Y'-jfwthdrawala are made will „ „ Together a total of 90 that under the favourable a Redemption , , will have to be in and a larger amount ten J ears llliiif't may be thought that the jB&pF. Joan money in 193 4 / to + .: „ Bt Of .£538,000, will . r ® U ®J e ® int out mfflm** then, but I Wish to point out flHßhis was taken into consideration Mio last ietuarial report jjjfeftd Which annual appropriations Revenue are now made. fjpl'' ' Statisticiaa's Seport-|the-Government - 1929. Hp place. Oh^chu^in

in these reserves 48.87 per cent, of its capital outlay. Wellington comes noxt with 4(1.43 per cent., Dunedln 30.58 por cent., and Auckland 27.38 per cent. This report, based on returns up to March 31st, gives the relative costs as follows (in all cases per car mile):—• Power. &• Auckland • • 3 -372 Wellington .. 1.905 Duhedin . • ■ 1.590 Christchurch .. 1.831 Traffic. d. Wellington • • 10.377 Auckland • • Duncdin •• 7.919 Christchurch .. 7.493 Oar Maintenance. d. Wellington .. 2.284 Auckland • • Dunedin . . •• Christchurch .. 1.178 Track and Overhead Maintenance. d. Wellington .. 2.79(1 Auckland • • 2.105 Christchurch J'»6l Dunedin •• ' 1.236 Management and Offico Expenses. d. Dunedin .. 1.098 Wellington • • *B°B Auckland • • Christchurch . • *" O2 " 'Car mileage' is not the best basis for comparing track maintenance. Ir track and overhead maintenance i« taken at per mile of single track, the cost per mile of single track is: A Wellington 1»051 Auckland • > Dunedin • • Christchurch • ■ - 1 Latest Return a "The revenue account from April Ist to if ay 25th shows a further decrease t in the numbers of passengers earned on trams. . , "On the buses for the same period tne position is better. The earnings have decreased by £4OO, but the operating expenses have come down by nea y £800." The details of tram earnings are.— 1930. 1930. Earning* from opera- . ,£39373 *' on '' "" pqi 178 28,637 Operating expense* •• £27 ' I ' a ' Intereet, Sinking l'un4. depreciation, and re- 8? £IO,BOI newali •• • £26 Trailers !! lQojlM Total •• 475,365 498,571 ' The bus revenue accoUl,t 1 g2f(~" 1930 s■' Earnings from operation W£o 1,J92 Operating expenses •• I* B6 ® I » u '®