FERRY WHARFAGE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15884, 3 April 1915, Page 9

FERRY WHARFAGE.

COMMISSION MEETS AGAIN.

QUESTION OF ROYALTY.

A brief sitting of the Royal Commission, set up to inquire into the ferry wharfage charges, was held on Thursday. Mr. Justice Husking presided. Mr. M. G. McGregor appeared for the Devonport Steam Ferry Company, Mr. K. J. Prendergast. for the North Auckland Municipal Association, Mr. T. N. Baxter for a number of petitioners, and Mr. R. McVeagli fur the Harbour Board.

The parties had been called together to deal with an apparent inequality. The point was that according to Mr. Hansen's evidence, the Takapuna Company's one boat carried 1,000,000 fares per annum, and seived a population of about 3000, or one-fourth of the total population, which was, say, 12,000. That company, or the population it represented, paid £200, or say, 4s per 1000 fares. The Devonport Company's boats served a population of 9000, three times the number served by the other company, and it paid in respect of passenger boats, say, £3600, or 18 times as much as the other company. Unless it carried 18,000.000 fares per annum, which was out of all proportion for 9000 people, if 3000 produced only 1,000.000 fares, there was a disprorx rtion in charge if the passenger traffic were taken as the basis. Was there good reason why the 9000 residents should pay more in proportion than the 5000?

Mr. MoVeagh pointed out that the population of the boroui'hs on the northern shore, including Takapuna, and also St. Helier's, Kohimarania, and Orakei, was 13,869, of which 1544 represented the Takapuna population. That was a ratio of the population of Takapuna to all the other districts of one to nine. The estimated revenue gave a ratio of one to twelve. Taking the passenger carrying capacity of the two companies, the Devonport Company was authorised to carry 8326 in its vessels, as against 738 for the Takapuna Company, a ratio of twelve to one. Taking the extent to which the wharves were used as a basis, it was found that the Devonport Company used them 1834 times a week, and the Takapuna Company 216 times, a ratio of nine to one.

His Honor discussed the question of charging the companies a royalty at per 100 or per 1000 of the number of passengers carried. The Devonport Company objected to a royalty, on account of the difficulties it would place in the way of carrying on its business. It was pointed out that numbers of people rushed down to the steamers at the last moment, and would not he able to pass through a turnstile His Honor suggested that there was no need for a turnstile, and that the company might bo able to arrive at the necessary material by reference to its books.

With regard to the suggestion for a royalty, Mr. McVeagh stated that th? board would give its earnest consideration to any recommendation that might be made if it were thought proper to make, one.

His Honor intimated that ho thought this was the last time on which the parties would be called together.