TRANSPORT FINANCES

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 759, 4 September 1929, Page 11

TRANSPORT FINANCES

MR. LUNDON ATTACKS AND IS ATTACKED FULL PARTICULARS PROMISED Claiming that a reduction in revenue earned by the Auckland transport undertaking gives a d^ ,: -a. to the recent statement of the chairman of the Transport Board, Mr. J. A. C. Allum, that there was a bright future for Auckland transport, Mr. J. R. Lundon makes further remarks in a letter to THE SUN, based upon a report by the transport secretary. Mr. Lundon makes use of a suggestion by that official -that the discount rate on concession cards be halved. 31 r. Lundon writes: Monday’s Sun broadcast my public challenge to Mr. J. A. C. Allum’s mirage of an ’indication of a much brighter future” for our Transport Board’s finance. I said then that the board's takings (trams and buses) from AH Fools’ Bay to August 23, ult., were short by the hugo sum of £17,777, in comparison with the receipts from passengers for tho same 145-day period of last financial year. I charged Mr. Allum and his board with definite personal knowledge last Tuesday of an official report, signed by the board’s secretary, and read to the board that same day. certifying to tho ghastly shrinkage during that 145day period of £17,777 —a financial slide equivalent to a catastrophic £44,750 for the year ending March 31 next. I stated in effect: (1) That the secretarial report forecasted now an ‘‘estimated deficit” in receipts as compared with the present year’s estimates presented by Mr. A. E. Ford some months ago, of £22,047 for the 3 r ear. (2) That, failing release of the whole report at yesterday’s board meeting, “Barkis was willin’ ” to deliver full particulars to the public through The Sun’s columns. X declared, in effect, that the secretary’s recommendation, casually discussed by some board members at last Tuesday’s cloistered corroboree in the board’s sacrosanct room (the Press not being present), increased the cost price of most of the concession cards by 12 A per cent, reduction in the discount hitherto allowed, and (b) that the board last Tuesday divided itself into two selected quintets: <1) To try to popularise the service. <2) To promulgate economies. In a footnote to my epistolary “bomb,” editorially conceded to him, Mr. Allum promptly gave me the lie direct as to that £l7,777—and forthwith closed up like an oyster. A policy of suppression, silence and secrecy re this staggering deficit was evidenced at yesterday’s public board meeting, which I and other citizens attended. Xot one word was uttered on this vital and arresting drop of cash receipts since April 1. My creed as a publicist is, “Trust the people, be of the people, and for the people.” Therefore, I now hand to the editor of The Sun for publication relevant extracts from the board secretary’s portentous official financial fiat of August 26, 1929, disclosing the aforesaid deficit of £17,777, also a £14,063 crash from Mr. Ford’s recent estimates for the year. These pusissant figures predicate a damning denial of Mr. Allum’s “indication of a much brighter future.” I invite Mr. Allum to publish in a footnote hereto his explanation of Board Secretary Clarke’s palpitating nouncement in his report of 2G/8/29: “It is necessary to draw your attention to tho fact tliat the receipts to date for the current year are substantially less than for the corresponding period of last year, and are also less than allowed for in the present year’s estimates. . . . In the circumstances it is considered that attention cannot be given too early to the balancing of the present year’s receipts and expenditure; and I, therefore, recommend that the rate of discount on concession tickets be reduced from 25 per cent, of the value of the cash fare to 121 per cent., with the exception of the six section concession tickets, which are to remain the same. The increase to take effect not later than October 1, 1929.” If that fell act of legalised briga.ndage be done to a defenceless public, our transport authorities, having for the six months from 1/10/29 to 31/3/30 officially raided the pockets of the then concession card payers to the tune of £17,135 for deficit reduction purposes, will still be to leeward of the financial rock to the tidy extent of £4,912. J. It. LUNDOX. 4/9/29. TMr. Lundon has handed The Sun a copy of Mr. W. St. .T. Clarke’s report to the Transport Board, but as this is a confidential document and has not been discussed by the board in open meeting 1 we have decided not to publish it.—Ed. The Sun.) CONFIDENTIAL DOCUMENTS Shown the letter Mr. Allum replied: I repeat my two former statements. First, there are indications of a much brighter future for Auckland’s transport undertaking. Secondly, there is not a loss of £17.777 on the system from April 1 to August 23 of this year, nor a sum in any way approaching it. The board has nothing to hide from the public. It prefers to give the public the result of its deliberations rather than particulars of proposals which might never be approved. It is a matter of public regret that with the simple object of endeavouring to embarrass the board without cause Mr. Lundon should lend himself to the disclosure of documents which in the meantime are confidential. Mr. Lundon’s record is one of dissension and discord and I decline to be a party to any controversy with him. J. A. C. ALLUM. Mr. Allum reiterates his statements in a footnote, at the same time attacking Mr. Lundon’s '.•policy of dissension and discord.”