TRAMWAY BOARD

Press, Volume LXXXI, Issue 24740, 4 December 1945, Page 3

TRAMWAY BOARD

■• ♦ MR H. KITSON NEW CHAIRMAN REVIEW OF YEAR BY MR W. S. MACGIBBON Mr Henry Kitson was elected chairman of the Christchurch Tramway ; Board yesterday afternoon. He was .elected to the bo?rd in 1941 and has 'been deputy-chairman during the last i year. Mr H. A. C. North, a new memI per of the board last year, was elected I deputy-chairman. Every member of the board paid tributes to the service of .the retiring chairman (Mr W. S. (Mac Gibbon), who, if wes stated, had steered an almost entirely new board through an important year in the development of the city's transport policy. When the new board came into office, it anticipated that it was taking over a buoyant system, Mr Mac Gibbon said, in a review of the year. Revenue had kept up wonderfully well, and had, in fact, risen slightly, but costs

had increased very considerably, so that the position had deteriorated by £20,000 since March 31, so that at November 14 there was a deficiency of £4540. It was clear from expenditure which must be made immediately that the board , must realise on some of its reserves and the ratepayers would be asked to sanction further expenditure if the service they demanded was to be provided. The purchase of the new buses would cost £57,660. The report of the board’s policy committee, which had been in preparation for many months, had now been completed, and would soon be, presented; but it'was not intended to implement it fully until the arrival of the new general manager in January, when another survey would be made. Heavy capital expenditure would have to be faced up to in improving and extending services which, it was hoped, would be revenue producing, but it appeared that increased rating would definitely be required. The board had a duty to assist in the industrial expansion of Christchurch by making available transport for the workers from their homes to their places of employment. The actual finances of the board were in a sound position, Mr Mac Gibbon .said, and liabilities had been reduced by £49,254. However, these payments were for assets, many of which were sunk in the ground and had become obsolete with modern developments. Mr Mac Gibbon mentioned that closer co-ordination between departments was planned in the interests of efficiency.