IF LABOUR WINS.

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20919, 28 July 1933, Page 10

IF LABOUR WINS.

TRAMWAY RATE SAID TO BE INEVITABLE. IMPORTANCE OF ELECTION EMPHASISED. If the Labour party's representatives are returned in a majority at the forthcoming Tramway Board election it is inevitable, according to Mr W. Hayward, a member of the board, that a rate will be struck over the area of which the board has control. Speaking at the annual meeting of the Christchurch Citizens' Association last night, Mr Hayward said he regarded the coming election as one of the most important that Christchurch had ever had to face. "The papers tell you daily that the Labour party is making a definite attempt, to get control of the board," he said. "It will be most unfortunate if it succeeds, through lack of interest on the part of the ratepayers. If Labour does win, it is inevitable that tramway rates will be added to the present rates, which are already too high. There wiil be only one thing facing you—a rate —and I can assure you it will be by no means a small rate. Tramway receipts in recent years nave shrunk very much inueecl, ana tne reason is not lar to seen.. tjood roads are a great handicap, lor they increase the numoer of cyclists. 1 have heard it said that the increase is 20,000. We don't read often today of cyclists riding on the footpaths, for the simple reason that the roads are now just as good." Two Serious Handicaps. The Christcnurcn tramway system, he went on, laced two very Definite handicaps. One of them was that there were about 50,U0U cyclists, practically all of whom would be tram users were it not for the wonderful roads. The other handicap was the length of the system and the wide area which it covered. Dunedin, for instance, had 17 miles of tramways against Christchurch's 63 miles, and in Christchurch the area served was spread so widely and populated so little that it was almost impossible for the trams to pay. "Don't make any mistake —the coming election is the most important we have had," said Mr Hayward. "If the Tramway Board once decides to strike a rate then all the incentive to run the trams economically will be gone. It is always easy to say: 'We won't worry; we can just add to the rate.' It is an easy and delightful thing to spend other people's money." The Tramway Roll. i Referring to the tramway roll, he I said he had been assured by the returning officer (Mr Frank Thompson) that all names appearing on the roll used at the last municipal elecI tions would appear on the tramway roll, even though the people themselves may have received notices that they had been removed from the roll. In his address, the president (Mr H. D. Acland) also reminded the association of the election. "It is necessary that every effort should be made to ensure that a good and capable board is elected," said Mr Acland. "I am sure that ratepayers do not want a tramway rate added to the over-many new special rates imposed by the Mayor and his party in recent years." The same fact was stressed by the chairman of the general committee (Mr S. G. Holland). If Labour was allowed to follow the same policy on the Tramway Board as it had been following on the council, he said, then a tramwav rate was onlv a matter of time. He emnhasised stronclv that the users of the tramwavs should r>av for the service, and tsai'l +v, at the imnoMtion of a ra+e couW hp by a prudent administrative policy.