"ALTERED CONDITIONS"

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 144, 16 December 1930, Page 12

"ALTERED CONDITIONS"

MINISTER'S LETTER

PETONE STILL HOSTILE

, Eeplies to the protests of the Petone Borough Council against the increase in bus fares were untile by tho Minister of Railways (the lion. W. A. Vcitcli) jn a letter winch tamo before the council last night. The Minister said he noted that the council was of opinion that the necessity for increase in fares would be avoided by economy in the Department itself. No doubt when the council committed itself to this statement it had knowledge of sonic uneconomic practices that were operating in connection with the bus service. Ou no other ground could the Minister imagine that the council would express that opinion. If the council would communicate any such matters ho would be pleased to give them consideration. In this connection he said that careful consideration had been given to the question of reducing operating costs, and he knew that the working costs per bus mile compared more than favourably with those of other bus concerns which lie believed were being run on an uneconomic basis. EFFECT ON WORKERS. Regarding the council's reference to the increases in fares as affecting tho "workers, the Minister said that the only increase of that kind was in the fare from tho Petone Railway Station to the Railway Workshops at Woburn, and that the railway employees were well catered for by a train service which was available to them at a very much lower rate than even tho present bus fare. Considering that the great majority of the workers who travelled toy the buses on that route were railway employees, the Minister could not see that any substantial detriment was ■being done in. the raising of the fare from 2s to 2s 6d a. week. SBESERVINa RELATIVE RATES. "With regard to the charges between Wellington on the one hand and Pe- . tone and Lower Hutt on the other, I notice the reference to the difference in mileage," said the Minister. "It is true that the Hutt passengers travel a greater distaiice, but pay no higher i'are than the Petone passengers. I do not think, however, that this can legitimately be used as' an argument against-tho Department's present pro-j prosal. We could not possibly reduce the Petone- fare. And to make the differentiation that would be necessary! on a mileage basis would mean making a relative increase in the fare to Lower Hutt. This we do not propose to do. The same fares have operated; as I ■understand,' practically since the buses commenced running between Wellington and Hutt, and while it has been necessary to formulate proposals for increased fares, we have aimed to disturb present faro relationships as little as possible. In this connection I may emphasise that in formulating our faro proposals wo aimed to conserve the in- 1 terests of the residents of Petone and j the Hntt Valley by keeping the faros for concession tickets down to rates that would enable the purchasers to .travel at no greater cost than at present, j SUNDAYS AND HOLIDAYS. "With reference io the use of concession tickets on Sundays and holitlnys, I desire to say that a material factor taken into account when formulating concessions of the nature that operate on the buses is the fact that it is desired to assist people in respect of essential travel, such as has to be undertaken in their journeyings between their homes and their places of employment, . Sunday travel and holiday travel, except possibly in a few more or less exceptional cases, does not fall within the same category. It is quite a recognised feature of transport fare-making that Sundays and holidays are placed on a different basis from ordinary days, along tho line which has now been decided upon in connection with the Hutt buses. I do not think that this decision is at all unreasonable. INCREASES IN COST, "I desire to say that circumstances as regards costs have altered in many substantial particulars since the Department took over the services from the previous private owners. Amongst those altered conditions arc the increased price of petrol, the statutory requirements witli regard to third party insurance, increased licensing fees, and the enforcement of the Motor Omnibus Regulations which have had the effect of materially reducing tho passenger capacity of the buses from what it was during the time when the services were operated by private owners." '"Rot" and "Absolute bunkum" were interjections of councillors at this stage. In conclusion, the Minister assured the council that the Department was anxious to give an efficient service at the lowest possible fare. When it was found that the profits from the service were such that it was possible to reduce fares he would be only too happy to review tho position. THE LETTER DISCUSSED. Regarding the Minister's suggestion that the council could tell him of any uneconomic practices it knew of in the bus service, Councillor V. 3H. Jaeobson said that in the interests of the residents of the borough a sub-committee of the council should make inquiries and suggest to the Minister how savings could be made. Councillor V. A. Noble said ho thought the council should continue to protest against the increase in fares. Last year's balance-sheet had disclosed a loss of £800 by the bus service, whereas the previous year it had been £7000. If the loss could bo so much reduced in. twelve mouths surely the Departenvnt could wipe off the rest this year. Councillor J. W. Longman said that if tho Department called tenders for the buses it would receive a substantial offer and the controlling of (he buses by private enterprise would be more profitable to everyone concerned. The council should renew its protests against the increase in Sunday and holiday fares. Councillor 11. A. Ryder said that he had it on good authority that the private companies, before the Government took over tho service, offered the Government a considerable sum to be allowed to carry on. It was in tho air at the time that the faro from Petone to Wellington was to be reduced from Is 6d to Is, but nothing was done because the proprietors thought that the buses would sell better if the fares were higher. He had been, told this by one of the proprietors. The Minister would find that a private company would run the service at a handsome profit, as had been done, in tho past. Attention was drawn by Councillor •T. C. Burns to a portion of the Minis--ler's letter which said that tho whole matter of transport services should bo reviewed from tho Dominion point, of vi.o.w. That, said Councillor Burns, ineaiit that payable railway and bus

services, such as tho Wellington-Hutt ones, had to make up the deficit in other parts of the Dominion. Ho thought that that had been going on for yegrs. It was decided that a sub-committee, consisting of tho Mayor (Mr. D. M'Kcnzie) and Councillors Burns, Byder, aud Jacobson, should » work along tho lines indicated by Councillor Jaeobson,