TRAM TRACK RENEWALS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20601, 27 June 1930, Page 12

TRAM TRACK RENEWALS

NO STATE SUBSIDY. LOCAL REQUEST DECLINED. PRIME MINISTER'S REASONS. [BY TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL REPORTER.] WELLINGTON, Thursday. No success has met the efforts of the Auckland Transport Board to secure a Government subsidy on its expenditure for tram track renewals. The Prime Minister, the Hoh. G. W. Forbes, stated this evening that ho had been approached with a view to the recent offer of a £2 for £1 subsidy for unemployment relief work being extended to' the. board's, proposals. A reply had now been sent intimating that the provisions of the offer could not so be extended. The subsidy offer was intended to cover works • that came under the heading of unemployment relief, but was not intended to apply to semi-commercial undertakings, such board was conducting. If the Auckland request were agreed to, it might reasonably be anticipated that other. transport and tramway boards would seek similar subsidies. Mr. Forbes isaid the Government was carrying a large part of the unemployment relief burden and had appealed to private employers and others to recognise the seriousness of the position and to do what they could to assist in providing work for the unemployed.

A SEASONABLE APPLICATION.

OFFICIAL DECISION REGRETTED. When the matter was referred to Mr. Allum yesterday, ho said that _he had not yet received written advice of the Government's refusal to grant a subsidy. Ho expressed regret that it should take such action, stating that the Transport Board considered that the application had been a just one. Mr. Allum said that when Mr. Forbes had issued an appeal to local bodies to carry out increased work for unemployed men, the board had responded and put forward the only proposal which offered. The board had considered their proposal sound and one which -would enable men to be employed in useful and productive work. Admittedly, the tramways undertaking was a commercial one, but it was owned by the public, which had to find the funds spent by the board.