FARTHING TRAMWAY FARES

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7026, 14 January 1910, Page 3

FARTHING TRAMWAY FARES

What would New Zealand passengers in tramway cars think of farthing fares? The farthing in'New Zealand is more or less of a curiosity. In England it is the standard coin in the housekeeping of the very poor. The decision of the British Electrical Federation to introduce farthing fares on the 600 miles of tramways which it controls in that cotmtry is a significant - reminder of the poverty of England. Although the richest country in the "world as regards the total amount of its wealth, that wealth is eo unevenly distributed that the great hulk of the people are poor, and millions of them very poor. . That is why the penny, the halfpenny, and the farthing are in such demand in England—especially the farthing. , Tho object of the now farthing tramway fare is to catch those passengers —very numerous—who " will get ' out and walk rather than . ride three-quarters or less of the minimum halfpenny stage. There are thousands of people in England who feel that they cannot afford to spend an ! extra halfpenny on a. tram ride unless they are going tho full extra halfpenny I distance. Ifthey have to leave the car before the halfpenny stage is finished, they have -wasted a. fraction of their halfpenny —and that is a serious matter to one , supporting a wife and family on, say, 21s a week. So they walk, and save the halfpenny. It is these people that the tramways wish -to, avoid losing. There will bo no individual farthing fares, however; the minimum fare will still be a halfpenny.