THE CORPORATION BUS SERVICE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19532, 15 July 1925, Page 10

THE CORPORATION BUS SERVICE.

TO THE EDITOR. Sib,—ln endorsing the remarks of “All British” in this morning’s paper with reference to the corporation bus service, may I bo permitted to add some of my own? Cr Shacklock is reported to have said at the last meeting of the City Council that the buses would be worn out in three years. That substantiates the comment of “All British” when he says it is indicated that the price and type of bus were decided on before tenders wore invited. ' It must, indeed, be a poor typo of 'bus that will be worn out in throe years, oven on-the worst of Dunedin’s roads. The buses used in London are overhauled ovtyy five years to give a further five years’ service, and when they have done Spartan service there we find them still “going- strong” as far away from London as Timaru. It seems as though our city fathers, in entertaining the idea of purchasing so-called buses which will bo worn out in three years, are not so progressive as they make out .they are, but want to stick to their old-fashioned, ont-of-date, expensive tramway system of which they are so proud. To my mind, if .instead of laying out all those tramway extensions, they were to spend tho money on buses and on good roads for them to run on to the places that are not favoured by a tram service, they would 1 , be. doing far more good with the ratepayers’ money. To make a bus service pay it is necessary to study the tenders and get buses that will bo fast, especially for hill work, with a low petrol consumption and, above all, efficient machines. If none of the firms tendering can offer anything British that is suitable I would remind our city fathers that the best cars in the world come from Britain, ?jkl the next best come from the Continent of Europe, not from America. Spealking as an engineer, I should say that a bus that is going to be on the scrapheap in three years will spend a considerable part of those in the repair shop. The Electric Power and Light Department has an English lorry which has been on the road every day for two years, and I believe tho running repairs bill is about 5s per annum. That is the type of lorry we want for our buses. —I am, etc.. Entente Oohdialite. Dunedin, July 14. Sin, —The letter signed “All British” on the question of the purchase of additional 12 vehicles for the City Corporation bus service would lead one to believe that the writer is either an unsuccessful tenderer or has been inspired by one to write as ho has done, though the matter has not yet been decided. The accusation that the question was cut and dried before tenders were called is surely not in keeping with the signature to the letter, “All British.” Britons usually stand for fair play, and such an unwarranted accusation against our city councillors of underhanded dealing with civic tenders is anything but fair play. The whole of the letter points to your correspondent being aware of a decision which has not yet been announced by tire council. The question of the superiority of British vehicles over all other makes does not really enter into the matter as your correspondent strongly advocates also the manufacture of our closest Allies, though one may be pardoned asking in what respect French vehicles, say, are superior to other makes at; similar prices. I have been connected for very many years with the motor trade, the firm in which I am employed handling the highest-grade English, American, and Continental vehicles, and one is' impelled to admit that America has, 'by close study and many years of experiment, evolved types of motor vehicles most suited to passenger services, both for long distance and suburban and city work. In this connection one may mention that one of our northern municipalities recently pointed out that American-made bus chasses were most suitable for their work for the reason that they were specially designed, being low set, thus obviating tho necessity for high stops, and making entrance and exit easy and comfortable for elderly people—a point which you, Sir, will recognise is of paramount importance.

The question of scrapping those 12 vehicles after the Exhibition is surely not worth being taken seriously, ,n.nd the suggestion of it point* to lack of knowledge, as even vehicles of low quality will last more than the six or seven months indicated by your correspondent under the conditions under which they will run in Dunedin.

The whole of the letter by “All British” is simply using the “British goods” cry to start an agitation against American vehicles, irrespective of price, quality, and service, and in the hope that in the turmoil Continental-manufactured vehicles may sneak in. My firm, Sir, is not interested in the present tenders, and therefore I have no axe to grind.-—I am, ote., Ratepayer. Dunedin. July 14.