TRAMS AND FARES

Dominion, Volume 25, Issue 167, 11 April 1932, Page 14

TRAMS AND FARES

Replies to Ratepayers’ Association COMMISSION’S VIEWS "The suggestion was made by the Ratepayers’ Association that the tramway and electricity departments should be under separate control, as it was feared that one is built up at the expense of the other,” says the Wellington Civic Commission’s report. “It is not understood how any advantage can be gained by such separation. Experience has proved time and again that such an arrangement with the duplication of staffs, store yards, plant, etc., has invariably led to greater expense, Certainly another electrical engineering department would be necessary. “At the present time the professional side of the electricity and tramway departments is the only department which is under-staffed, there being too many what might be described as technical men as against professional men. In no undertaking of a similar nature are there two staffs as suggested except where the undertakings are controlled by separate authorities. Penny Fares Not Possible. “The association realises that it would not be wise to scrap the trams, and is opposed to a ny increase in fares to tram users. This must of necessity mean a reduction of services. At the same time the association advocates penny fares In the city proper, in which its members state they are chiefly interested. This is no time for such au innovation. "The association also advocates that the buses be placed under separate management, aud that they be made to pay. This is an impossibility, as there is not the population to be served. “One of the association’s representatives stated: ‘lt the buses do not pay we should not continue to run them. That would be only commercial practice.’ It is regretted that the association had not some constructive criticism to offer. "Ample reserves have been provided a 8 well as sinking funds for the tramways, and, in spite of the criticism which was offered by the association, the tramway undertaking is a credit to the council. "Filching” of Electricity Funds, "The statement is made that the electric light funds have been filched. It must be remembered that in the early stages the electricity undertaking was uursed by the council, which provided the funds for the undertaking on the credit of the corporation. It is a common practice in England and elsewhere for portion of the net. profits of these undertakiugs to be devoted to relief of rates. "The association further states that the first piece of work it. had to undertake was to tight tlie iniquitous Betterment Bill of 1930. it is claimed that the council proposed to spend £3,000,000 under the provisions of this Bill. This Bill Is also given as one of the reasons why a large staff was kept on by the engineer’s department. The staff required for this work would not require to be a large one.”