TRAMWAY REVENUE

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8457, 17 June 1913, Page 2

TRAMWAY REVENUE

To the Editor N.Z. Times.” Sy - ,—l am surprised that an abler writer than myself, and one more competent to go into figures, has not commented on the tramways returns as published in your issue of the 10th mst. When a public concern such as the tramways is established, it is, I believe, generally supposed, or expected, that profits are to be made out of the number of people carried—and not out of the pockets of those who have to use them as per force. Before I go into this part of the 'location, 1 desire to call attention to the fact, that if the returns increase, an extra number of people have been carried,' the expenses also increase out of all proportion—this 1 cannot understand- If it was duo to a larger num. her of trams being put on, even then the cost is more than it should be; hut I do not believe that is the reason, because the trams are (except the increase is normal and requiring more cars to be put on) only overcrowded. Another thing I specially want to call attention to is, how is it, that it ■s only since pressure has been brought to bear upon the management, that the expenditure has been reduced? If people have to pay more now for travelling than they did leas than a year ago, why should not the salaries of the highly-paid individuals who run the show, be reduced until such time as the trams arc made to pay, under the scale of fares, before the shortening of sections look place. If the city councillors would look into this matter, it would bo found that a lot of money has been wasted in all kinds of fads, in tickets, changes in uniform, and other things, that those persons who are placed in charge of a concern the management of which they know nothing about, have to learn at the cost of the public. I throw out a suggestion. When Mr Hi’ey, the new General Manager of the Railways, has had time to settle down, let him he asked, with the consent of the Government, to go into the working and arrangement of the tramways. My chief object, however, in writing this, is .to call the attention of the ratepayers to the bad fact that since the change of the sections there has been a falling-off in the number of passengers carried, in the four weeks from May Ist to 26th, of no less than 31,971 as compared with last year. Now, it naturally may be supposed that the greatest number of those passengers lived beyond the Id sections. For sako of example, we say only half of the 31,971 would have paid the other Id that would mean a loss of 47,956 pence, or, roughly speaking, £2OO, and if at the gamp rate for every other four weeks, or, to simplify the matter, call it £2OO every mpnth, it would amount to £4BOO a year. Supposing the old sections and fares were reverted to, the expenses cut down as they now appear to have been, \ and other reductions in the management continued, 1 undertake to say the revenue would show a small increase over all expenditure arid charges, : and that is all that is required. However, I want a universal 1 fare, for all distances established,. Those that use the penny sections most are people of fashion and business; people .who could’ well afford tho extra id. In Connection, with this, there would be no need to have the noble army of inspectors in their dandy uniforms, as no one should be allowed to travel until a, special ticket, which could bo bought anywhere, is produced to the conductor, whose duty it would be to chpi This would, save a very large amount of time that is now taken up in giving change, etc. The salaries of the inspectors, which, 1 understand, amount to nearly £2<K)O a year, would be saved, Dining that 960,000, halfpence would have been saved. ‘ Various experiments have been tried, why not the above?—l am, eto.,. Juno 13th, EXPERIMENT,