The Hutt News THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1930. INCREASED BUS FARES.

Hutt News, Volume 3, Issue 28, 4 December 1930, Page 7

The Hutt News THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1930. INCREASED BUS FARES.

■'. .■. \'."-r—. 'Trr-r. — ■ • . There were many amongst; us ' ' Who by no means approved of the 'step . taken; by the Government * ItaUway Department in. absorbing. ihe, system; of Omnibus, transport 1' ■ * for the Hutt Valley, and prophesied! that, evil would come of the. ' -change. ; Jtnd it would certainly appear tliat these gioomy forebodings are in the course of justification. "When the buses were ope- " ratect. by jprivate owners there., ■•■' was,, if not the best possible sys*"tern, still an excellent one, and one that satisfied the requirements of ' the majority of the residents in the district. The Railway De--1 partment discovering that the road petrolrpowered vehicles were '* taking a volume of traffic that had. been carried by the railway, ' cast covetous eyes on what the management considered a profitable venture with which to bolster up their diminishing revenues. "With practically unlimited capital —the people's taxes—behind the Department it was an easy mat- ! ter for<the octopus arm to reach out and gather in a new source of income, livaii:d piivatr?^n%eTprise was swallowed up, on terms more or less equitable to the men who . had built up large and lucrative .. businesses, and quickly a monotijpoly of this most useful public was gathered into the •. maw of the Government, now the result is. beeoniing apSpars ent. Under private ownership an excellent and useful service had been built up, which without doubt would have continued to grow to its present size and convenience, on a reasonable scale of fares, the return ticket available in either direction the owners were satisfied, paying their way and making substantial profits, and, the public was, generally speaking, also, well satisfied with the services given. As has been stated there is no doubt that such services would have been added to to meet the requirements of this large .and ever-growing district from time to time as extensions became necessary. The proprietors were keen far-sighted business men of skill and experience in this business. But rigntly or wrongly the Department decided j to take over such private enter-1 prises, and we are far. from saying that an excellent service has not j been given. But now comes the pinch,,and apparently it has been ascertained that this bus service, which paid well under private management, is not, yielding; a sufficienfprofit to satisfy the great Department, which is now in control: : .Endeavours ■ are now Being made to indilce tlie Wellington {■Jity Council to permit increased fares being charged. ."WJiy this boiiy- sfiduld have ben constituted the iii'cehsing Authority^ seeing that it has practically nothing to ; do with, the government of the district! Effected, it would'■'be> difficult to understand, but such is the case. And this large and inevidently recoginsing that it knows little (and apparently, cares Jess) about the question at issue, has referred the matter of allowing increased, fares to fee changed ;fer an^.fixpr^lsion of opinion thereon to the Ttoi&er

Hutt Borough Council. And we are more than pleased to be able to say that our own local g overnto say that our own local governing body has passed a resolution expressing with no uncertain sound its determined opposition to any increase being made in the fares; It is futile to point to the system of concession tickets as a reduction on the general scale. That is even'less than was given by the superceded . proprietory system as already, alluded to. The hands of the Council in this matter would be materially streng- , thened if a public meeting were called, and the public given an opportuhity which would doubtless be; readily accepited, of expressing their J views on . a matter which: resideiit, arid also,^^theii*^^^ves an^^nildren.