PENNY SECTIONS

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Volume 58, Issue 69, 23 April 1929, Page 8

PENNY SECTIONS

MAYOR'S PROPOSAL TO RE COXSIDERED REFERRED TO IXCOMIXG COUNCIL. A proposal that the trams sections should be reduced to penny fares was made by the Mayor, Mr J. Yigor Brown, at the meeting of the Xapier City Council last night, and after considerable discussion, was referred to the incoming trams committee of the new council for consideration. Wlicn the motion was moved sevcral councillors, while cxpressing sympathy with the Alayur's proposal, said that they thouglit it should not be deult witli by a "dying" council. It would be better to leave it over till the next council was clectcd. Councillors alsu urged tliat sucli a change of policy should not be made witliout rcports from tlic rcsponsible officers on its pmbable cffeet 011 the revcnue. Councillors said that. therc; were matters of detail that had not been touched 011 by the Mayor and urged tliat tlie proposal should be referred to the trams committee. Members said tliat the question of concession cards and wlicre the sections were to end and charges for children all had to be gone into. The Mayor replied by saying that all that information was before the council in July last, when the officers reported to tlie tramways committee 011 the proposal, giving all the data councillors now asked for. At tlie time the tramways committee adopted tlie proposal. seven councillors voting for it in committee. At the next meeting of the council, howevcr, wlien lic and Cr. Bryant were ahscnt the proposal was thrown ont. although seven councillors 1 had voted for it in committee. Cr. R. W. Goodger dcnicd that he ] had reseri'ed his vote, as he had not | voted at all on tlie matter in open j council, as he never did when in tlie . chair unless specially requested. Cr H. J, Harman also made a similar denial. He was not present when the matter was diseussed in committee, so he could not have "turned." Cr. C. D. Cox: Well, I voted for the proposal in open council. Cr. P. F. Higgins: I think I did, too, if I remember rightly. Cr. Higgins remarked that the Mayor's reminder that all the data had previously been before the council cleared the air s'jmewhat, and he suggested that the Mayor be given permission to alter his motion to read tliat penny sections be introdueed, the sections and other details to be decided by the incoming trams committee. Councillors, bowever, refused to allow the Mayor to amend his motion. It was stated that to adopt sueh a proposal would be to tie down the incoming council to penny sections. Cr. A. E. Bedford's amendment that the whole matter he referred to the incoming tramways committee for consideration was carried. "That will.do rae," said the Mayor. "It will eome just tlie same. It is wonderful what you get if you try long enough."