TRAMWAYS COMPARED

Evening Star, Issue 18255, 20 April 1923, Page 9

TRAMWAYS COMPARED

STATEMENT BY CHRISTCHURCH BOARD. DUNEDIN’S REVENUE ADVANTAGES, SOME INTERESTING FIGURES. [Special to the ‘ Star.’] CHRISTCHURCH, April 19. In comparing last year’s financial results of the Christchurch tramways, Mr M. D. Sykes (chairman of the Christchurch Tramways Board) made the following statement: The Mayor qf Dunedin had reported a tramway surplus of £10,405, but details were not yet available. He had, however, claimed that Dunedin was the only concern which had retained its adult fare of Id per section. In Christchurch the minimum fare for adults was 2d, but thereafter only Id was charged for each additional section. Christchurch had, however, adopted a policy of expansion and had so arranged its fares that the people were encouraged to live in tho outer suburbs. This distribution of population made for public health, and also had a steadying effect upon rents. The more' congested the population tho greater was tendency for rents to rise. The policy of tho Christchurch Tramways Board in the matter of fares was one which had proved a decided check on the creation of crowded city slum areas. The average length of the sections was _ greater in Christchurch than in Dunedin. When reduced to an actual mile basis the position was that, with the exception of the first section, the cash fares in Christchurch were lower than in Dunedin, and the same remarks applied to the concession tickets to a more marked degree. On .Sundays Dunedin charged the same cash fares as Christchurch, but as the sections were slightly shorter the comparison was in favor of the Christchurch passenger. Dunedin, with a turnover of about £151,000 (tho exact figures were not available), produced a surplus of £10,405, whereas Christchurch, with a turnover of £268,330 obtaining a surplus of only £6,500. This comparatively small surplus on such a large turnover would not be regarded with equanimity by a commercial company operating privately-owned tramways; but it showed that the board was giving its passengers every benefit possible. The conditions in Dunedin W'cre more favorable than in Christchurch. Christchurch was practically a one-way traffic service, with some stretches of noman’s land on the seaside routes, where no traffic was picked up or set down. Mr Sykes added that our central zone traffic was nqt worth speaking about, on account of business being centralised in Christchurch, whereas in other centres the central zone traffic was a little gold min© through the business places being distributed over a longer length of tramway track. Mr Sykes said that he considered that Dunedin was “ on the best wicket ” in the dominion with regard to the possibilities of securing successful results. There were three seaside routes and the Gardens route, with population to pick up and set down all along these routes, and all within a 3d spetion from its centre. There were fifty-five miles of street used by the tramways in Christchurch, as compared with only eighteen in Dunedin. There was a population of 4,014 in. Dunedin for every mile of street traversed by tramways, whereas in Christchurch the population per route milo was only 1,921. This made financial success move difficult to secure here than in the southern, city. Then it had to be taken into account that Christchurch had to compete with nearly 20,000 bicycles and motor cars, comparatively speaking a negative thing in ail other centres.

Wellington City Council had reported a surplus of £19,044. Wellington charged Id more per section than in Christchurch. If Christchurch had charged tho same as Wellington tho hoard would have taken nearly £BO,OOO more last year from its passengers than it did. The earnings per car mile averaged 2s 4d in Wellington, whereas in Christchurch they were Is 6jd. It cost Wellington in operating expenses £7l to earn £IOO of revenue. In Christchurch tho cost was £66. In Wellington the operating expenses averaged Is lOd per care mile; in Christchurch the cost was "Auckland figures for the last financial year were nqt available, but it should bo noted that the fares in tho northern city also were higher than in Christchurch. If Auckland fares ruled in Christchurch then the Christchurch public would have had to pay over £93,000 more last year for its tram rides than it did. Some of ino candidates for the municipal seats in. Christchurch were contending that municipal control of tramways would make for greater efficiency and economy than did the present separate control. Dunedin, Wellington, and Auckland tramways were under municipal control; Christchurch had a separate board. He (Mr Sykes) would allow tho above comparisons to speak for themselves.

six-meter boats which occur to the mind that would no doubt covet the oup are the Melbourne-owned Killara and The Rip. Another prominent Sydney six-meter boat is Rawhiti 11. It is hoped that the negotiations may bear fruit before the commencement of next season’s sport. RACING AT AUCKLAND. The Victoria Cruising Club (Auckland) held its harbor races for yachts and one for launches on Saturday afternoon last. The keel yachts and mullet boats raced together for a cup presented by Mr W. Casey. All 14ft boats competed for the Boonstra Memorial Cup, and the 16ft and 18ft boats for dab trophies. Half an hour before the start there was hardly any wind, but just after the launches were sent away a light southerly breeze set in, and this increased in strength as the day wore on. The President’s Cup brought twenty competitors, and resulted in a win for the twenty-footer Gloaming. The Boonstra Memorial Cup was won by the Cariad. The competitors in tho race for the President’s Cup wore sent away to a splendid start at 2.40 p.m., Venus leading tho way over the line, closely followed by Waiiiki, Queenie, Winifred, Doreen, Gloaming, Starlight, Celox, Valeria, and Sadie, then came Marie, Waiapu, Vanitie, Speedwell, Starloch, with Waiters 11., Niobe, and Cynthia a. few minutes late. The result was: Gloaming 1, Starlight 2, Marie 5.

The start of tho race for the 16ft and 18ft boats was spoilt through a number of the competitors mistaking the direction of the course, stalling up instead of down the harbor. On the fall of tho last fag Secret was first away, closely followed by Namu, Sea Egg, Mawhiti, Phoebe, Atangatai, and Liveret. Wizard, Matarerc, and several others lost time through going up the harbor at gunfire. Tho result was: Fleetwing 1, Tiger 2, Namu 3. The race for the Boonstra Cup was sent away to a splendid start at 3 p.m.', Betty crossing the line first, closely followed by Nyria, Sea Deil, Cupid, Sea Nymph, Arawa, and Redwing, with the rest handy. Bona and Nyria both passed Betty and Sea Gnome, the one-design boats having a great “go” to the top mark, which they rounded almost on level terms, Kona having a slight advantage. Betty was fourth boat round this mark, and Sea Deil fifth. On the second round Cupid maintained her position, but Rona had to gh o place to Betty, and Nyria to Sea Gnome. The result was: Cariad. 1 Arawa 2, Cupid 3.