HOW TRAMWAYS HELP.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18380, 21 April 1923, Page 10

HOW TRAMWAYS HELP.

RELIEVING CITY CROWDING.

POLICY OF EXTENSIONS,

EASING EFFECT ON RENTS. [HI TELEGRAPH.OWN CORRESPONDENT.! CHRISTCHURCH, Friday. ;• Comparing the financial results of the Ghristchurch tramways last year with the results in other cities. Mr. D. Sykes, chairman of the Cbristchuxch Tramway Board, said the- Mayor of Dunedin had reported a tramway surplus of £10,405. Ho had, however, claimed that Dunedin was the only" system which had retained its adult fare of Id a 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 tfnd nad so arranged its fares that people were encouraged to live in the outer suburbs. This distribution of population : made for public health and also had a steadying effect upon rent. The greater the congestion of population, the greater was the tendency for rents to rise. The policy of the Christchurch Tramway Board in the master of fares was one which had proved a decided check on the creation, of crowded city slum areas. The Wellington City Council had reported a surplus of £19.044. but Wellington charged Id more a section than did Christchurch. ... If Christchuirch had charged the same fares as Wellington, the board' would have taken nearly £80.000 more last year from its passengers than it did. The . earnings per oar mile # averaged 23 4d in Wellington, whereas in Christchurch they were only la 6£d. It cost Wellington in operating expenses £71 to earn £100 of revenue; in Christchurch the cost was £66. In Wellington the operating expenses averaged Is lOd per can mile; in Christchurch the cost was Is. The Auckland figures for last financial ytoar were not available, but it should be noted that the fares in the 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 thin it did. Some of the candidates for 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. Mr. Sykes said that he would allow his comparisons to speak for themselves..,