WESTOWN TRAM SERVICE

Taranaki Daily News, 7 May 1930, Page 5

WESTOWN TRAM SERVICE

OPINIONS FROM FITZROY MEETING PASSES NO RESOLUTION o MOTION OF SUPPORT WITHDRAWN “Your Worship! It seems to me that we are asked to spend a fairly large sum of money so that we may lose a little less,” said a Fitzroy ratepayer to the Mayor (Mr. H. V. S. Griffiths) last evening. A meeting of Fitzroy ratepayers was considering the proposals for the further duplication of parts of the main tram route in New Plymouth at a cost of £5500 and for the extension of the Westown tramway from David Street to the borough boundary at a cost of £11,200. Thirty ratepayers, presided over by Mr. 8. J. Smith, attended the meeting and heard addresses by the Mayor and •Or. P. E. Stainton on the proposed loans. The addresses closely followed the lines of the speeches given at Westown and the Workers’ Social Hall. Afterwards the proposals were freely discussed Mr. Smith moved that the meeting pledge its support.to the proposals. Later, however, he stated that it seemed hardly fair that the vote of the few present should go out as the opinion of 3000 Fitzroy people, and he. withdrew his motion. At the close of the meeting the Mayor appealed to the audience to consider the proposals thor-. oughly. He was sure that- if they did sb ° they would give ' the-- council their support. /- How was the £7OO increase in revenue on the Westown run going to be made up? asked Mr. Smith. - “At the present time there is the existing bus revenue of £418,” said tiie Mayor; “Added to that - will be £3OO which will be the revenue oh the •trains. The revenue from one extra section at approximately Id per section would give the extra --£3OO. The increased number of trips, 15 per day and nine- on- Sundays, had- to be taken into account. - ■ - ; , “What is the population: -from, David Street' to the proposed new terminus ?’* asked Mr. Smith. . The Westown Progressive Association had estimated that there were 12G houses there, said the Mayor. He could not give the exact population figures. THE RISE IN TRAM FARES. Had it been a wise policy to raise the fares on the trams? asked Mr. Colson. Prior to the raising of the tram fares, said Mr- Stainton, the tramways committee had got into touch with all the corporations in Australia and New Zealand, and all except one 'had agreed that the only way to meet the loss in revenue was to raise the fares. It was extremely difficult, if the fares were reduced, to make up tho leeway with increased traffic. He quoted an‘article from the Mercantile Gazette which stated that in business a 12J per cent, price reduction required a 100 per cent, increase in sales to counter-balance it. He considered that if the fares were reduced it would need a 75 per cent, increase in traffic to make things square. It was possible that vvith a reduction in fares the borough might get an increase of 10 per cent, in traffic. “If the fares were reduced the trams would show a loss of £3OOO more than they do at the present time. In 1924 a Id concession was given on each section and in six months the revenue dropped £llOO and the council could not get back to the former fares fast enough. I am satisfied,” he said, “that.a drop in the fares would not assist in any way in picking up the loss.” “I am concerned,” said Mr. Colson, “with tho number of youngs fellows who ride bicycles to work.” “Motor bicycles are all right,’’ said Mr. Stainton. “I mean push cycles,” said Mr. Colson. “I think it is on account- of the rise in the fares.”“So it is!” said a ratepayer sitting near the front. “It’s our good roads,” said the Mayor. “You have not got good roads in the borough,” said the ratepayer. “You have got the worst. Go into the county and you find good roads. The charge was id a section when the trains first started and they did well out" of it. We used to get 14 rides for Is, now we get eight for Is. The working man cannot stand it.” “Since that time wages have increased’ 7 per cent.,” said Mr. Stainton. - What would be the length of the first section? asked another ratepayer. It would be 58.85 chains, said the Mayor, a little shorter than the other sections. Municipal transport was on its last legs everywhere, said the questioner. Wanganui was in a hopeless state because the extensions were so heavy and were not bringing in the revenue anticipated. Wanganui made a profit last year, said Mr. Stainton. That- might be so, said the ratepayer, but they had to make many drastic reforms and had a poor system to do so. “I agree that we have to be very careful,” said the Mayor, “where extensions alone arc proposed. But in this case we have an overhead charge of £723 for the bus, which is competing with the trams ” “Which should never have been,” interjected Mr. Colson. “We had to walk to Fitzroy for years. You- should wait till the service is warranted.” (Applause from the back seats). “FAIR ESTIMATE OF SAVING.” Was it a <vood proposition, asked the Mayor, to save £l-11 per annum, as the'y could by this extension? This estimate of £l4l saving was a fair one. It was a question of making the existing service pay its way or of buying another bus. What would be done with the old bus if the extension was made? the Mayor was asked. It w®uld run extra trips at rush hours, said Mr. Griffiths, and be a standby for buses wanting overhaul. ' Was not a promise given to the people of Vogeltown that the next extension of the trams would be their way? The promise given, said the Mayor, was that before any extension was made the first section of the tramways to Vogeltown via Liardet Street would bo done. He thought it would have paid better if that promise had never been redeemed, but the council had kept faith. “As a resident of Vogeltown I am here to say we are quite satisfied. There they think with me, that if we, can stop the loss, we should go on and do it. '(Applause). I “I believe the let of us are in the

position of hardly knowing where we are,” said Mr. Smith. “We should look at the matter as we find it, and anyone who goes to Westown and sees the bus covering the same road as the trams must realise that such a duplication is unnecessary. Speaking not as president of the Fitzroy Progressive Association but as an ordinary ratepayer, •I believe we should have confidence in the council. We have put these men in their positions as our trustees. I am satisfied that the council as a body is putting before the ratepayers a proposal it firmly believes is in the best interests of the town. That being so I am prepared to go with the council and support the proposal.” He had just returned from a visit to Wellington and had made tram trips all <V er the city, and it was wonderful to see the new suburbs springing up wherever the tram* went. In time to come it would be the same in New Plymouth. In Wellington, of course, the’ fares were very cheap. Mr. Smith then moved that the meeting endorse the policy of the Borough Council in its loan proposals and support the proposals at' the poll on Wednesday. y . ‘•'As a general principle,” said a -ratepayer, rising to his feet“Do you second the motion?” asked Mr. Smith, “Oh, no,” said the ratepayer, and sat down again. “I will second the motion pro forma,” said another ratepayer. GISBORNE TRAMS SCRAPPED. It was a well-known fact, said Mr. j Perrott', that trams were losing money. Would it not go on? Motor-cars were increasing each year. In Gisborne they had to scrap the trams because of the losses. If he believed that the proposal was going to increase their rates and his by one iota, said the Mayor, he would not be in favour of it. He was satisfied it was not going to increase the rates. “If we do not mind what we are about we will be driving people away from the town as they are- in Wanganui,” said Mr. Colson. “The rates on my property have increased from . £7 to' £3O. If the rates rise as continuously as they have risen this place will go down and it will be a sorry day for New Plymouth. Fitzroy wanted the sewerage, said the Mayor, and that increased their rates. A could be killed just <as quickly by neglecting essential services. Four men rose to reply at once, and the one who remained standing said that his rates had risen from £6 to in five years. --—y, •

With the consent of his seconderMr. Smith said he would withdraw his motion. Fitzroy had /a population of 3000, he said, and it seemed hardly fair that the vote of the few present should go o- t as the vote of the Fitzroy ratepayers. The ratepayer who had seconded the motion but had forgotten the fact, after being reminded about it was quite agreeable that it should be withdrawn. °Mr. Smith then moved a vote of thanks,to the Mayor and Mr. Stainton for explaining the proposals. The motion was carried with acclamation.