TRAMWAY PROFITS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 310, 24 September 1908, Page 2

TRAMWAY PROFITS.

'AUCKLAND AND WELLINGTON. V (HI TELEGUAI'H.—SPECIAL CORKESFONDBST.) . Auckland, September 23. ■ The Mayor, Mr. A. M. Myers, interviewed ; on tho tramways question, statod that Since i he had had an opportunity- of going into'the ' figures in connection with the Auckland and. Wellington- tramways, he thought it only fair to say that when all the circumstances' were "> taken into account there appeared to: be practically very little difference between the results in the. two cases. Both' undertaking ' had met with an-equal measure' 5 of' success, financially, and neither of them had any: marked superiority over the other, J .When.ho : was first interviewed on title subject, he' spoke oU tho assumption that the' figures published 1 gave a reasonable basis of comparison between' the two systems, arid he .could only say now that he was very glad to find that' tho undertaking of the city of Wellington had ■ been so much more profitable that " at- first '' appeared, and he embraced this opportunity of congratulating Wellington ori'the success of tho system. The Wellington criticism of his statement' that' private-management';wis more successful from a financial point of view than management by public bodies '-was; • pointed out to Mr.' Myers, who replied:— \ "In "stating as a general principle' that private management. is on' tlio whole moro successful from a financial point, bf;, view than management by public bodies] I did not ' mean to proclaim' myself as an opponent of municipal control of such, things,, asl. transit,. • water 1 supply, drainage, lighting,.: etc., of which,'on the' contrary, I bavß always been' • an advocate; but it.must.be recognised that. municipal control has its dangers, ji'hich, as I stated, are very much intensified ■by the inexcusable apathy shown, .by, -so many citi- - zens -in- regard to public' affairs." . :,,