The Timaru Herald. SATURDAY, MAY 29, 1925. DECISION OF L.C.C.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCVIII, 9 May 1925, Page 8

The Timaru Herald. SATURDAY, MAY 29, 1925. DECISION OF L.C.C.

Alter n record session of twentyone hourd, Uie caul© iiieasay<-o teii us ulus morning, Hi© Lomiou County Council urn-oaUM attouipty • Uy t'ilO SOOIUIISIS lO lUUhlClpUXloli luoaor bout, til Do, runways unit omnibus services, osiaunsii a savings baiiii. anu authorise' tiio uoiujpuisory aeojuisitaon or empty Houses, rresumabiy the cat-mens oi Don don are becoming a ratio anxious regarding tile virtues of municipal enterprises. Early in march, West 11am ceiebrateu. the twenty-first birthday of _ the municipal tramway system. Iho rejoicing, so the reports state, lasted over a weeh, and the Socialist .borough Council voteu Aititle m orclci' that there should ue rejoicings and no mistake about it. it is a tniling ultair irom the Socialistic point of vie-v mat the YY est ilam tramway ! system, organised and auiuiuiaicreii by tne Socialists, maue a mss of &oti,UUU last year, remaps nowever, tne ratepayers may nut possibly bo enureay resigned to mis stale oi all airs by tne signt ui an lilunnna ted and gauy < aecuiuteu uamuay Cua jj-aaoi-u.^ ■ tii.i ougn me sire© is ouu men, intepnjeis are nutmlousiy uo jjuiui/uuy'c xn Vv esu nuu. uiitaia tu 1 ixj.e extra \ aganoe anu easiness ineapacauy ui tne ooCn.*tne are omy paying* rrs in me pound in laues, liuu me aavoeauos oi me muaonaiisataon. ox me means ox prouueuon, uistrioution and excnaugo would uuautxess repiy inat it .s very snoexmg tn.au disgiunticu. ratepayers snouitl be so cmucij material as to oojecu to tne ion tauuncil spenuing aHUoL) to culeer ate so glorious an anmvoisaiy. unly a council composed or ooeiaiists eouiu conceive it nthing' vnat AxUOU ox tne ratepayers money should be .expended in coiuoruung tne twenty-nrst anmversary ox such a moribund institution as an insolvent tramway system. Lift then the l Socialists repeatedly claim that the world is stupiuiy censorious ox good motives and apt to laugh at people who rejoice at the wrong moment. Many VV est Ham, latepuyers who are being heeced at tne rate of ills m the pouud, nugiit bo excused ( if they sug- • geared t-nat it would have been more seemly to deciee a week, ox mourning rather than a week of rejoicing involving thei expenditure oi AiUUU of tne ratepayers money. VV o cannot but think, nowever, that many of the ratepayers may be wondering whether such an anniversary is a day of joy and gladness. Uf course, ratepayers exist for the purpose of paying otner people's mistakes, out, Deing* sednsli and narrowminded, tney sometimes obj'eot. l'erhaps they even think that the tramway system ought to be mane to pay by being more erxieientiy managed. And, perhaps tney even believe that the tramway- system ougnc to bo scrapped, ihere is a great deal oi ingratitude in the world. Jtiere is a sprendid borough council providing- a les toonea oar to mn up and i down the streets with the . express i purpose of celebrating a mag-ni- ] iicent event and making- everybody happy and contented, and yet, if you 'please, there are disgi untied ratepayers in West xxam who wifi not allow themselves to see the bright aide of things. The cynics might be excused if they urge that it was certainly worth wiiiie spending a paltry AIOUU to celebrate such an anniversary since the losses under 1 an extravagant Socialist regime were only .£58,1)1)0 last year, when they might have been AiUUjUUU! it shouid be said, nowever, that the experiences of i tne West Mam ratepayers are by no means exclusive. Ail over the world tramways are more or less in financial diiticulties. in uhristchurch, the tramways re*-.-uiited in a loss, of £IO,OOO last year. in lit teen towns in r.-agland, financial losses weio •nude on their electrical tram,l ays lunging from £4OOO to Abb,ooo. The London County Council estimated its loss at £570,000. Nio celebrations were considered necessary in other

i.Oug’lisk centres. suffering keavy financial losses on tramway : iiterprises. It is not surprising, uo'.vevor, in tko ligkt of presentday experiences tkat tke London County Council prefers to move very cautiously in tke face of tke 'Socialist attempts to* municipalise! other utilities requiring l iiigkly stalled organisation and it' degree of efficient and conscientious service wkick municipal control rarely provides.