WANGANUI'S TRAMS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 76, Issue 97, 27 April 1933, Page 6

WANGANUI'S TRAMS

NOW ON GOOD FOOTING WORK OF MR. HALLIGAN HIS POLICY VINDICATED “I am pleased to see that Mr. has commended tho conversion of tho tramway system to one-man cars,” said the Mayor, Mr. N. G. Armstrong, in an informal talk to electors at Wanganui East last night. Tho Mayor pointed out that Mr. Hogan, in his criticism of the tram* ways, had quoted from teh 1932 Year Book, which gave the figures for tho year ended March 31, 1931. Thc present council was not even in office then. Mr. Halligan was responsible for converting tho system to one-man cars. Mr. Halligan and those councillors who supported him in the hard fight he had had. Mr. Halligan was chairman of the Tramway Committee in 1927. When the first balance-sheet was produced after he had taken office it was seen that something would have to be done. Mr. Halligan went to his committee and asked for a free hand. His committee gave it, and he advocated thc conversion scheme. The council purchased two of the Takapuna cars. The policy of conversion was being started when thc council of 1929 was elected. Labour members on that council opposed thc scheme and, eventually, Mr. Cable, the Welington tramway engineer, was called in to report on the Wanganui system. Mr. Cable’s report was a complete vindication of Mr. Halligan’s policy. That was thc position in 1931 when thc present council took office. Mr. Armstrong, appreciating the position and thc grip Cr. Halligan had on thc finances of tho trams, and that his policy was beginning to be felt, in that the debit balance had been reduced by £250, put him at the head of the committee to carry on.

“Mr. Hogan’s commendation of the one-man cars is a complete vindication of Mr. Halligan’s policy,” the Mayor added, “and thc fact is worth noting that in 1930 the overdratf of the trams was £6241. In .1931 it was £5983. This year it is down to £2157 and the whole of the conversion has taken place and been paid for out of revenue. The city is now to receive the benefit of that conversion. Mr. Hogan suggests that something should be done, but he doesn’t say what.” Mr. Halligan has supplied the following information regarding tramways. 1 rom 1930 to tho present time the council had spent £9681 on conversion of cars and tho work, was now complete. Over thc same years £13,823 had been spent on thc permanent way. Both amounts had come out of revenue and had cost thc ratepayers nothing, and the unemployment funds were not used at all. In 1930 the overdraft stood at £6331. To-day it was £2ls9—a reduction of £4172. Operating expenses hi 1931 were £24,183; in 1932, £21,487. For the year ending March 31, 1933, they had been reduced to £19,715. From £4.’>.000 in 1925 the revenue dropped to £24.000 for last financial year. Yet. over tho past year, rne trams had more than paid working expenses by r sum of £4,315. Interest had been reduced from £16,074 in 1928 to £12,131 for the year ending March 31 last. “Wo now have the trams nn a satisfactory financial basis,” said Mr. Halligan. ‘