TRAMS AND POWER

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIII, Issue 89, 16 April 1942, Page 6

TRAMS AND POWER

OVER A MILLION

HIGHEST REVENUE YET

A report made to the City Couit--1 cil last night by the General Man-' ager of the tramways and electric-! : ity department, Mr. L. B. Hutton, stated that for the first time in the history of the undertaking the - combined revenues had reached a i million pounds,' the tramway and bus revenue being £549,698 and,, the electricity revenue: £450,556. Petrol restrictions led to an increase of 1,823,205 passengers .dur- . ing the year, which increase had enabled the service to end the year with a credit balance of £7300 for trams and buses. The report stated that, revenue for the; year amounted to £516,091, compared with £497,011 for the preceding year. This was the first year "that tramway revenue had' exceeded £500,000. ■ The credit balance was £14,270. --■..-. Passengers totalled 49^04i685, an increase of 1,823,205.' The increase' was not in any way a regular one, fluctuating with, the issue of petrol coupons. Sunday traffic had not increased materially, and the Sunday service had not yet reached the paying stage, despite the fare increase from January, 1941. Compared with the preceding year, the bus revenue increased by £262, while working expenses and depreciation decreased by £205. The loss on the bus operations was £6970, compared with £7437 for the preceding year. ; The net financial result of the operation of tramways and buses combined for the year was a credit balance of £7300. • , . ELECTRICITY DEPARTMENT. The electricity department's revenue for the year was £450,556, compared with £465,312 in 1940-41, a decrease of £14,756. Tfie total working expenses were higher by £8647, and the net result was a credit balance ot £23,460, as against £46,863 in 1940-41. Mr. Hutton said that lighting restrictions had resulted in lower commercial' revenue. .Working expenses had risen by £8425. Wages had accounted in part for that, but practically all supplies had increased in cost In view of the difficulty as to.supplies and the probability that that difficulty would continue for some time after the cessation of hostilities, it vwas decided to place orders for the newCentral Park sub-station and for underground and overhead gear and equipment to connect the sub-station with the distribution system. ; The council had been extremely fortunate.,in that it had suffered loss through only three sinkings and that that"* loss" had .been repaired by replacements.;, The;department had also used the man-power/ available to its fullest extent rand/muchi of"';the increased working cost;^?as'ln the'form of provision against a shortage of's?ipplies running side by/ side 'with' 'increased demand after the war! "^i"