THE TRAMWAYS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 19769, 17 February 1927, Page 6

THE TRAMWAYS

Sir, —Ip regard to the much-discus* ed question of the tram service, th« recent report of the council in your columns is anything but reassuring. The venture since its inception has been proved conclusively to be a financial failure all the way. The cars are practically running empty half thctr time. Until such time as fnll loads can be assured for each trip, the chance of their becoming a payable , proposition is very remote. The city 1 requires double its present population j to warrant trams. Take Wellington as an instance! I understand elcctrle . trams were first started there in 1905, • with a population of 76,000. The rei suit is that they are at present in a strong financial position, holding large > accumulated profits and reserves, and i they showed a handsome profit last > year, as reported in your columns rei cently. It goes to show that populal tion is the main factor in the success • of such undertakings. i New Plymouth and Gisborne are somewhat similarly placed as regards ; their trams showing Josses. Gisborne made a clean sweep quite recently and Palmerston North very wisely would not entertain trams. Are the trams going to carry on indefinitely under present conditions, piling up huge losses all the time which have to be borne by the ratepayers! The total loss in the aggregate since they first started would make interesting reading and prove an eye-opener for the ratepayers. As the date for the municipal elections is close at hand, an opportunity should be afforded the ratepayers to say whether the trams should continue or otherwise, with an alternative scheme of some other means of locomotion to supplant them. HERONGOA. February 16, 1927.