LATE CORRESPONDENCE.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 539, 23 August 1932, Page 7

LATE CORRESPONDENCE.

THE CITY TRAMWAYS. To the Editor. Dear Sir, —The Christchurch tramwayservice might now be readily- termed “ the world’s worst.” Before any further alteration is made, relative to oneman trams, the citizens of Christchurch should call a mass meeting, and endeavour to stop the tramway service going from bad to worse. Now is the time to act. Imagine a one-man tram: a rainy day; a lady with a go-cart and a baby: a 10s note: some elderly people witing to board the tram, and so on. The thing is impossible. Christchurch is not slipping. Every effort should be made for future advancement. Citizens, look ahead! Do not have one-man trams. It would be infinitely better, if this service cannot Vic managed or improved on, as it now stands, to go right back to the old horse trams. The board should take immediate action in this matter, and if it, together with its general manager, cannot see into the future advancement of Christchurch, might I suggest that the board confer with the City Corporation of Dunedin, and also the general manager. Further I would suggest that the Dunedin Corporation, by arrangement with the Tramway Board here, should send their general manager, Mr W. M’Kenzie, to Christchurch, for an opinion on the future service of the tramways. Mr M’Kenzie. has unquestionably made a huge success of the tramways there, giving penny- rides: workers’ car, Id for any distance: a very fast ser-Y-ice. in what might be termed hilty suburbs. Dunedin is not a flat town like Christchurch. For many years, the Dunedin Corporation Tramways have shown a very- substantial profit, based on a quick service and cheap fares. Wellington tramways are also miles and miles ahead of our Christchurch system. It looks as though the Christchurch Tramway Board was driving everybody to travel on wheels. With the exception of the Cashmere Hills, Christchurch is a flat town. It should be remembered that the trams belong to the people, who pay for the use of them, and would travel more by them provided the service was a better one, and the fares reduced to at least half of the present rate. They should be run entirely in the interests of the people, and not to suit the requirements of the board. If the board, after years of effort, cannot make a success of the business, they should resign, and it would be infinitely better for the Christchurch City Council to take over the whole of the tramway service. One with any vision at all can easily see the fatal error of such drastic action such as one -man trams, a poor service, and dear fares.— I am, etc., , ADVANCED CHRISTCHURCH. IS TRADE RECOVERING? To the Editor. Dear Sir, —In your article “ No More Taxes” in Saturday evening’s issue, you state “ there are many signs of returning confidence and growing prosperity in every direction, and this confidence, fortunately, has been reflected in actual trading figures in Christchurch.” I am curious to know which particular trade or business is showing this growing prosperity, etc., and would be grateful if you could enlighten me.—l am, etc., W. I. BRADLEY. An answer to this letter will be found in the news columns. —Ed. “ Star.”