CITY SERVICES

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3087, 18 May 1917, Page 6

CITY SERVICES

DRASTIC CURTAILMENT URGED

TO SAVE COAL

NO MORE PENNY TRAMFARES

DAY PICTURES BANNED

OTHER. IMPORTANT PROPOSALS

A proposal for the very heavy reduction of tramway and lighting "services was before the City Council last night in the form of a report by the Tramways General Manager (Mr W. H. Morton). It appears that although the coal strike is over for the time being, it is not going to be possible for the city to procure all the coal it will need to keep up these services at tho ordinary rate of efficiency, and the reductions aro absolutely necessary. Even if the output of tho New Zealand mines is maintained there will not be enough coal in the country to supply the normal requirements of the community. In normal times Now Zealand relies for a very large part of its coal upon Australia, and owing to tho shortage of shipping, and also to the increasing demands upon the output of the Newcastle mines, it will not be possible for us to get tho coal we want from the Commonwealth. Mr. Morton's report, which, it will be noted, proposes a return for an indefinite period to the services given at the time of the recent coal strike, was -addressed to the Mayor as follows-.— "As directed by you at the recent interview between the chairman of the National Efficiency Board and yourself, concerning proposals which should be carried iato effect for the purpose of reducing to a minimum the consumption of coal at 'the more important powerstations of the Wellington City Corporation, I have to make the following suggestions V Electric Light. "All Government and municipal offices and all offices, warehouses, etc., throughout tho city and suburbs supplied from the Wellington electric lighting station to adopt a daylight savinp scheme, and close at 4.30 p.m., excepting only those in which national work of extreme urgency is being carried on, and for which a special permission should be obtained. Where it is necessary for work to be done during night hours, such work to commence not earlier than 7.30 p.m. "All outside illumination, including gas and electric lights, to be discontinued until further notice. "All electric and gas advertising signs to be discontinued until further notice. "Excessive inside illumination to be reduced wherever considered necessary, and as may be determined by the Electrical Engineer of the Lighting Department. 'Lighting of continuous picture theatres to be available only after 7 p.m. "Authority to be obtained to cut off or restrict the use of any power or heating which in the opinion of the Electrical Engineer of the Lighting Department, unduly affect the loading on the station plant. "Note.—This power should not be used in an arbitrary manner. "Note. —It is not advisable to interfere at present with power for cooking. Street Lights. "All large incandescent lamps (over 100 caudle power) at principal street intersections to be cut off, or lamps of low or power substituted. .Lamps 011 tramway centre poles to be cut oft' street lighting and connected to private lighting wires so that they may be kept alight throughout tho hours of darkness. This is necessary .to avoid 6erious accidents.

All lamps off the main thoroughfares, excepting lamps at intersections and ends of streets to be discontinued, and at 6uch other points as the Electrical Engineer of the Lighting Department considers advisable. "All 100-candle-power lamps to be removed and replaced with 50-candle-power lamps. "All street lamps to be cut off altogether at midnight. No Day-time Pictures. "The 6upply of power to picture theatres should not bo made available until ■ 7 p.m. daily. A special war regulation will bo required to validate our contracts with regard to this provision. Tho most satisfactory method would be for any spccial regulation which may bo brought into forcc to compulsorily close all picture theatres in the city aud suburbs until 7 p.m., otherwise unfair methods of competition may be resorted to.. The Trams. "Existing services (outside of rush hours) to bo cut down so that the cars employed shall not execcd one-half tho cars at present in use. This proposal means the provision of a service having a fifteen minutes interval between cars on tho principal lines. "The Wallace Street and Aro Street to bo run at thirty minutes interval. "During slack hours no cars to run between Hataitai and Kilbirnio, excepting only those on the Miramar and Seatoun linen. "The Karori, Miramar, and Seatoun services to bo reduced to meet the new conditions. "Rush-hoar traffic to be catered for by spccial cars as at present. To Discourage Travelling. "The reduction in tho number of cars proposed will not cope satisfactorily with the traffic now required to be catered for, and consequently it is necessary to consider how such traffic can bo lessened. Also, serious financial loss to .the Department will result owing to the curtailment of revenue, and with a view to meeting both considerations it will be necessary to review the fares on the 6y6tem. In doing so, and with a view to compelling the public to realise the position, I am of opinion that tho following alterations in fares s*hould lie made:— "(a) No penny fares to be taken (except for children), a minimum ifaro for two sections being required. This is recommended in order that passengers who have but one section to travel will not prevent the use of caw by thoso travelling greater distances. (b) The number of rides on concession tickets to bo Teduced by two ou each class, viz., 2-section tickets to be fourteen rides for 25.; 3-sec-tion tickets' to be twelve rides for 2s. Gd.; 4-section tickets to be twelve rides for 3s. "This provides for a return to the number of rides previously given on concession tickets. The present system gives sixteen, fourteen, and fourteen rides for the same charges respectively. "(c) Workers' fares to be increased as follows:—Two-section six-trip return tickets to be Is. 3d.; three-section six-trip return tickets to be Is. 9d.; four-section six-trip return tickets to be 2s. 3d. , "Tho charges at present made are Is., Is. 6d., and 2s. respectively. The increase proposed is id. per ride. "The foregoing proposals provide for a, nearly uniform increase in the fares, but in the case of workers it will be necessary to obtain an amendment or suspension of the Order-in-Council governing the present system of charging fares or to revert to the original system which provided that one car be dispatched from each terminus daily on which half fares for the benefit of workers shall be charged. "(d) No alteration in the system relating to the issue of scholar's concession tickets is proposed. On Sundays—the Sixpence Fare. "I have to recommend that the cars regularly in use on Sundays be not allowed to exceed twenty-two in number. This will provide a ten minutes' service along the main route (Government Station to Newtown) and a minimum ser-

vice of forty minutes on all other lines excopting Wallace Street, over which I consider it -unnecessary to ruu a service on Sundays under tlio new conditions. A half-hourly service will be run to Karori cemetery, but it will not be possible with tho number of cars proposed to be used to run beyond the Karori cemetery. A sixpence universal faro to be charged on all city lines until conditions are again normal. „ ,

"In submitting these proposals I desire to mal;e it quite clear that no good can result by simply reducing tho number .of cars. The result would be over-crowding to such an extent as to rondcr travelling dangerous. An increase of fares must be made to keep tho loading within reasonable limits. "Further, and in order to cope with 'rush hour' traffic, a sufficient nnmbcr of men must he available to work the regular shifts as well as the broken shifts, ami the proposals have been made after full consideration."