TRANSPORT BOARD FINANCE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22779, 13 July 1937, Page 8

TRANSPORT BOARD FINANCE

The accounts of the Auckland Transport Board, presented yesterday, though not wholly satisfactory, make a reasonably good showing. They cannot be called satisfactory while they continue to produce a deficit, but there are certain circumstances to set off against this result. The debit balance of £12,183 is £4OOO less than in the previous year, and the board submits a fair claim when it quotes the exchange loading of £20,000 on the interest it is obliged to remit overseas. The traffic handled during the year increased substantially, over 3,000,000 more passengers having been carried than during the preceding 12 months, which in their turn showed an increase of nearly 2,500,000 on the year before that. These are hopeful factors, especially in view of the influences tending to take patronage away from the trams, among which the private motor-car must be counted as the chief. On the other hand it has to be recognised that the revision of fares to which the chairman refers in his report involved an actual increase in the cost of travel to large sections of the public. Abolition of the ordinary concession cards is the particular case. Again, the 40-hour week operated for a part of the year only, so that the full cost has not yet fallen on the, accounts. It is estimated at £70,000 for a whole year, a substantial loading on an enterprise that has not been able to make ends meet since 1930-31. Even with the optimistic view taken of future prospects, the estimates for the current year do not show a credit balance, though tho deficit is stated as the modest sum of £2683. The chairman also speaks of extinguishing tho accumulated debit balances in a comparatively few years. It is to be hoped it can be done. Then the board may consider giving some consideration to the patrons of the service, who are patiently paying more for travelling on the tramway system.