THE TRAMWAYS AND THE COMMUNITY

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22271, 9 December 1937, Page 7

THE TRAMWAYS AND THE COMMUNITY

TO THE EDITOR OF THE PEESS. Sir —Mr E. Parlane, the new chairman ’of tho Christchurch Tramway Board, when replying this morning to Mr H. D. Acland, the president of the Citizens* Association, makes an unfair and misleading statement. He says that the position was as stated by Mr Acland in 1933. before the Labour board took control; but that it does not apply now. He uses the following comparison in. illustration; — 1933. 1931. £ £ Capital expenditure 1.337,082 1,373,181 Loan indebtedness 1,170,750 840,321 He later says the loan liability is being reduced by £12,000 annually. For these things Mr Parlane claims credit for the Labour board; but the big drop in loan liabilities was the result of the former (Citizens’ Association) board s policy, which it had just completed before it went out of office. The old board also made provision for a substantial annual reduction. ■Mr Parlane may or may not be justified in using these figures in an argument with Mr Acland about the debenture holders owning the trams; but he is certainly not justified in claiming that the figures which he commends were the result of the Labour board’s policy. They are the result of the previous board’s operations. I hope Mr Parlane will have a good year of office; but he has made a bad start.—Yours, etC " CITIZEN. December 8, 1937.