The Wanganui Chronicle. "NULL DIES SINE LINEA." WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 18', 1912. MOTOR BUSES V. TRAMS

Wanganui Chronicle, Issue 12857, 18 December 1912, Page 4

The Wanganui Chronicle. "NULL DIES SINE LINEA." WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 18', 1912. MOTOR BUSES V. TRAMS

•Dubino the past few-months a warm ■controversy has been in progress ;between the advocates of'motor bus'&s and electric trams, and the impression has ■been convoyed to many colonial readers that the argument was going very much against the trams. Additional information now available as to the real character of the rivalry between the two modes of traction suggests the (wisdom of suspending judgment for the present. The argument based upon theenormous .inorease in the • receipts of the London General \ Omnibus Company's buses and the decline in the receipts of 'the London 'County 'QoiincWp fcrams has been subjected to analysis from the tramway wide in a fashion which cannot bo ignored. There are, moreover, signs that in future tho expansion of motor bus enterprise in London will bo subjected to more handicaps than in tho past. Certain routes <aro ,on grounds of safety and public policy, to be fonhidden to tho trams. At the end of October it was announced that tho Home Secretary, Mr. M'TCenna, ihad decided to restrict tho number of buses plying in tbe metropolitan area to 3000,

this total having been arrived at after consultation with the principal companies concerned. This means that the companies have foregone their right to add indefinitely to the number.of their vehicles, and will concentrate their energies on suburban routes which link up with trains and with the city bus* routes. The tramway managers ore now bent upon carrying the war into the camp* of the bus companies by demanding details of working costs for a complete financial year on the same lines ;as those which municipal tramway undertakings We obliged to publish. Mr. A. Baker, manager of the Birmingham Municipal Tramways, when speaking two months back a.t the annual conference of the Municipal Tramways Association, delivered a criticism of the press, campaign then being waged in favour of the busts, which deserves the attention, of those who in Melbourne appear anxious to arrive at a hasty conclusion in a highly technical controversy. Mr. Baker said :—

At the present moment ho did not think there was a single authentic figure as to the cost of motor omnibus working. Omnibus promoters would tell them that the cost of working (was v€>ry low, and that the receipts per car mile were exceedingly high. In London motor omnibuses had ibeen " boosted" by a certain number of daily piapera. A certain paper had published for their information startling statements to the effect tha/t motor omiiibuses bad niade tremendous increases in their traffic to the value of £512,000 or £514,000, while tramways had decreased their earnings, particularly L.C.C. trams, by £40,000 -or £50,000. Was there ever such a fallacious argument? If the motor buses and the trams had' elach the same number of vehicles as last year there would be something in the argument; but while he dared say that' the L.C.C. had not increased'tlie number of its vehicles to any appreciable extent —and he should imagine the de-crease-was-due to the difference in this year's weather as compared with last year—the number of motor omnibuses had increased three or four fold. The increase in the takings of the motor omnibuses iwia-s due to the fact that they bad so-largely increased the number of vehicles and services in iLond'on. It was true that omnibuses had ibeen improved to a considerable extent, Lut they needed reliable figures before fney could consider whether moitor omnibuses were likely to take the place of tram cars, or act as feeders instead of the trackless trolley system. He thought thafiasa "feeler"—-to tesftije n'eiatjs ,df any-particular district—be would prefer the motor 'bus. Several towns had run motor buses without much profit, and he believed that In some cas,es the cost was- 3d. or 4d. per car mile over' the receipts, even when the receipts had 'been as high as Is. They were not going to scrap their tramways yet. Trtanr cars were not going into the museum, iandl they were certainly not going to put motor omnibuses, in their places within the next few years.

Other speakers .made analyses of the comparative life of tram cars and motor buses, which introduced another business element in,to the discussion on which further light is needed.- Another factor which has acquired greater p.roininence within the last few months is the growth of the'demand of the municipalities ,in Great Britain for special and direct contributions by tho bus companies towards road .maintenance. The flreifc feelings of -indignation and anger entertained by the local authorities as.'they watched their roads being disintegrated by the sudden accession of hundreds of 'heavy motor buses have given-place to feelings of a more stridfc!y eommer/cial order. Down to the beginning 6T November they were, somewhat divided as to the ibest course to pursue to''equalise the competition between municipal; trams and ■ privately, owned'.buses','.-arid'-at the same Hime get. iheir road votes augmented. The municipalities>were r , however, steadily moving towards a common policy. The point of view of the London municipiali-

--es may b,e gather from the following extFact from an article pu/blished by the "Municipal Journal" on 2oth October :—

The main issues are ; —(1) Should motor,,, bus traffic be controlled and regulated in the public interests? and (2) if it should, how are that control and regulation to be effected ? -Is it desiraJble to set up a new traffic authority? and if it is desirable, should that authority be elected or nominated Or could the proposed powers be conferred upon an existing body or <a nuniiber of existing bodies? The Prime Minister iand' other leaders of the present Government have upon more than one occasion opposed the creation of .a traffic board for London ,on the ground that such a body would be a superfluity, so that there does not appear to be much (hope in that direction. What is wanted from tho coming; conference is a practical scheme which would stand a reasonable chance of being accepted by the Government. As we have shown, some of the suggestions that have ibeen so far made : stand no such chance at all. Further, we think that they will not all say the same thing. The Government will be assailed by conflicting counsels in ia crisis which demands that puMic bodie^ shall offer it advice by which the great majority of them are prepared to stand. If the counsels are conflicting, then nothing will be done. For these reasons we would like to see one k<rge representative conference, instead of half a dozen small conferences. This quotation should by itself suffice to indicate that tho entire street traffic situation in London and provinces is still in a state of flux. Certainly it docs not warrant hasty action in the colonies.

It is reported in the south that owing to the extreme heat of the past xve(Sk. sheep are dying in the Otama district. Some of the settlers are shearing as many as possible of their flocks, and then pouring -water over them.

Yesterday was the last occasion on which Mr A. D. Thomson was to preside over the Palmerston North Magistrate's Court, prior to the assunihption of the duties of Oivil Service Commissioner. The members of the Bar presented him with a tray and a solid silver salver.

The Education Board has been notified that the Department has made a grant on the amended plan for the new school buildings at Gonville, to be con r structed in brick. The (buildings will consist of two large school rooms, teachers' rooms, and lavatories, and will be erected with a view to future extension, with large assembly hall.

The damage cattle can inflict on each other with their horns is too well known to emphasise. An ingenious solution of the problem has been arrived at by a southern farmer, which, while it may expensive, is certainly effective, and has much in its favour as compared with the dehorning method. The farmer in question has fixed brass doorknobs to the horns of his small herd. We do .not know whether these are polished each morning at milking time, but' we can say that the cow so accoutred presents quite a distinguished appearance.

The fine weather experienced during they past week has had the effect of' changing the aspect of the farming districts very considerably. The grass, is already showing the effect of. the severe heat in very exposed places, and as unmistakably turning colour. The crops, on the other .hand, are looking very hopeful, despite -their lateness, whilst stock are living on the fat of the land, there being' an abundance of good feed in all directions.

A rather unusual sight was witnessed south of the Turakima railway station yesterday by passengers to 'Marton on the morn-ing train. A cow (writes our travelling reporter) was standing' in a paddock with three calves in front of her. and she was licking each in turn. The impression was created that she was certainly the .mother of the three. The calves were all (apparently of the same age, and looked exceedingly healthy.

At a special meeting of the GonvilleCastlecliff Tramway- Board on Monday evening it was A~-.-7i.fYi to accept the tender (£4O) of Messrs Niven and: Co. for an electrically driven motor and pump for use at the tea kiosk to raise the water from the artesian well to the ibmlding.. It is expected that the pump will.,raise about o"ne thousand gallons per hour, and the Board hopes the supply will be sufficient to enable a tap to be placed at the disposal of the. public free. "

The applications of the following retiring pupils and probationers in Wellington and Wanganui for admission to the Training College have been approved. (The number of applicants' under division A is so great "that the Board will be unable to admit in 1913 any B' grade applicants, those who have not served as pupil teachers or probationers): Mr C. Mi Bathgate, Mr J. B. Bennett, Misses L. Crafeb, F. M. Curham, E. iDabinett, E. Hare, M. J. Haase, 'G. E. Jamieson, E. V. Nicol, M. Walls-andM. Daniel!-. Miss'L. Pemberton, 8.A., has been admitted to the graduate division.

At the Magistrate's Court yesterday morning, before Mr W.Kerr, S.M., N. MoKenzie Forbes was charged with having commit/ted four breaches of the Wellington Cooks' and Waiters' award. Mr H. E. Moston, of the Labour Department, prosecuted, and Mr Cohen defended and entered a plea of guilty to each charge. On two charges 'of employing men for more than the award hours per week, defendant was fined 10s on each charge and counsel undertook to see that the men were paid the overtime due. On a further charge of failing to keep the time-book properly defendant was fined £1, while an another change of failing to notify the secretary of the union he was fined 10s.

Inquiries made during the last few' days regarding the prospects of the-rye grass seed harvest in the Sandon district encourage the belief that*the yield will be a good one if all goes well from how on. It will be remembered that last year's crop at this time promised exceptional yields, which did not materialise, awing to unfavourable weather. It is noticed that the bloom has been a week later this year in making its appearance. Provided' the weather' holds good for tli*- next fortnight, while the heads are being fertilised^ the germination trouble in last year's seed will not be a drawback to the next yields. The harvest this year will be late, and from the .present appearance of .the growing crops they will not be ready for cutting under any circumstances before the first week in January.—"New Zealand Times."

Judgment for the plaintiff by-default was given in the following cases yes- , terday ,by Mr W. Kerr, S.M.: A. Redy. E. and A. and A. Bull £13 15s, Gibson and Paterson v. Allcock £40 0s 6d; Marshall and Hutton v J S. Welsh £9 19s lOd; Wilson and Christie v. J. Bennett ss; the Commissioner of Taxes v. J. B. Bradley £35 2s 9d; the Commissioner of Taxes V. J. B Bradley £14 3s 4d; Jas. Wm. Millens v. M. E. Smith £22 10s; J. T. Hodder and .Sons v. H. Murray £2; A. J. Johnston v. J. and D. Farrell £3 ,18s; A. H. Hatrick and Co., Ltd., v. Claude Watson £13 115.2 d; J. G. Swan v. M. V. Hill £6 Is 6d; C. E. Mackay v. H. Carroll £13 13s; H.-Inman v H Cooper /£6; Christie and Wilson v. H. Jj. Bright £2 lls 6dj W, R. Tuck v. 1. Twist £5; H. Burniston v. L McElwain £3 10s.