From the Kearney Files
Sydney Sunday Times 18th September 1921
NORTH SYDNEY IS AWAKE
Better Transit Must Come --- New Ferries and a Bridge.
For fifty years and more the North Sydney man has been paying to cross from north and south, and growling because he has no option but to pay.
For a hundred years and more the politicians have been telling him a bridge is to be built. The North Shore man believed it would be built, and had been believing for over 100 years.
Eventually the North Sydney man and his bridge became a joke. He was given the worst trams, trains and telephone service in the whole of the metropolitan area.
Now, behold the miracle. In less than three weeks 150,000 of him have unanimously cried "Enough ; this is the end of the section."
Public meetings have been held on every district, and in nearly every case the attendance has been unprecedented in the memory of the oldest inhabitant.
At the initial meeting a committee was appointed to organise and conduct the protest campaign. This Committee has now been assured of the support and cooperation ,of all local governing bodies on the north side of harbour.
The committee looked round for some way of getting more ferry transit. It found half s dozen formidable weapons in six large ferry boats that equalled in passenger capacity and speed the boats the Sydney Ferries, Ltd., had on the water.
Then it decided to see the Harbour Trust and put the position before the Commissioners. A thoroughly representative deputation waited on the Commissioners and received reply to the effect that if a company was formed the Trust would find wharfage.
The committee now has to consider if a new ferry would be successful.
Ald. Whatmore Interviewed.
The chairman of the committee, Ald. A. E. Whatmore, Mayor of North Sydney, in an interview, puts the case on behalf of the people of the Northern Suburbs.
"There are over 150,000 people whom we represent." said Mr. Whatmore, W"should I be penalised because I am a resident of the Northern suburbs?"
"Successive Governments have failed to provide a satisfactory answer to that question. I refer now to the construction of the North Shore Bridge. Until the transit problem is solved the development of the great Northern Suburbs is retarded enormously. I don't hesitate to say that the monopoly exercised by the Sydney Ferries Ltd, has been responsible for a depreciation in property values on the north side of the harbour.
"As far as the company's position is concerned, the matter has been thrashed out at length on many occasions. There are official figures that speak for themselves. The revenue receipts from North in 1917 was £84,000. This year the receipts irrespective of the proposed increase of 25 per cent, will be approximately £170,000.
"On these figures will the company deny the North Sydney services are earning a handsome dividend on the proportion of capital involved?
"The company has persistently evaded this vital question, and we cannot but come to the conclusion that they are afraid to admit what is obviously the truth --- that the profitable services to the North Shore have to balance the deficit sustained through the running of services less popular.
"Broadly viewed, the difficulty is one of transit between North Sydney and the Quay. The present state of affairs is totally unsatisfactory. The existing Ferry Co. cannot properly handle the enormous volume of traffic in the busy hours of the day.
"Take Milson's Point service, for instance.
"In the busy hours there are three boats in commission. The timetable is do arranged that one boat is at the Quay and the Point unloading and a third is on the water midway between the Quay and the Point. " The wharves, both at the Quay and at Milson's Point, are terribly congested, and in the boats themselves there is hardly any standing room. The addition of another boat would not help the situation : it would only tend to further dangerous congestion.
" The ferry service now is inadequate, but what will be the position in a few years time? The bridge is at the very least ten years ahead, and in the interval the population is steadily growing. " I think it is quite clear that long before the bridge is completed the ferry service will break down. It will be absolutely impossible for it to carry the enormous population of the Northern suburbs across the harbour in three years time.
" The position to vehicular traffic is, if anything, worse than the passenger traffic. The Milson's Point punt carries the whole of the vehicular and goods traffic for North Sydney, Mosman, Cremore and Manly. There is not the slightest doubt about the congestion at present existing on this punt. When one considers the areas areas it serves it is not surprising. On Monday mornings it is a common sight to a queue of vehicles wanting to cross to the city half a mile in length. On many occasions I have been at the end of a queue that extended right up the hill from the punt almost to the North Sydney Town Hall.
"The charges made by the company on the punt are also burdensome on the people as well as the owners of vehicles and cars, for all goods brought from the south to the North side bear a tax equal to the amount of the cost of transit.
"It is generally felt that this punt should be free, and I must say that is certainly unfair to impose a charge in this respect when the Government constructs bridges and provides free punts in local centres and neglects to make some provision for this one which connects a city with its largest suburban area.
"This punt problem that has to be solved is of the first importance to the North Shore. The northern suburbs are the brightest and healthiest. From all points of view North Shore is the best residential area Sydney possesses, andy yet a toll is imposed on those who elect to make their homes within its boundaries. On the northern side will some day arise a bigger, better and cleaner city than present - day Sydney, and that day cannot be long deferred when the transit problem is solved.
"An additional ferry, to my mind, is an absolute necessity. The existing service maintained by the ferry company to North Shore is well equipped and, I think it is generally admitted, could not be better managed. But the squirrel cannot move the mountain, and on matter how efficient the service becomes it cannot hope to cope with the increase the North Shore residents under the old conditions. " Should a new service come into being it could secure wharfage accomodation at Blur's Point, McMahon's Point in Lavender Bay. Passengers would be landed at the Quay on sites now occupied by the wharves of various shipping companies. If necessary the Harbour Trust, as the Commissioners intimated to the deputation recently, would displace ferries that cater for tourist traffic in the main.
"In conclusion, I would like to say that the people of the northern suburbs are determined to alter the present situation either by establishing a new ferry or by other means. The monopoly that has developed by the Sydney Ferries Ltd is dangerous, and now that the ratepayers and electors are aware of the position they have expressed their indignation in strong terms.
"If after due consideration, it is found impracticable to start another ferry, the question of resuming the water frontages and wharves owned by the Ferry Company under the Local Government Act will be investigated by the Mayor's of the different municipalities and the residents offshore council's concerned."
Sydney Sunday Times 18th September 1921
NORTH SYDNEY IS AWAKE
Better Transit Must Come --- New Ferries and a Bridge.
For fifty years and more the North Sydney man has been paying to cross from north and south, and growling because he has no option but to pay.
For a hundred years and more the politicians have been telling him a bridge is to be built. The North Shore man believed it would be built, and had been believing for over 100 years.
Eventually the North Sydney man and his bridge became a joke. He was given the worst trams, trains and telephone service in the whole of the metropolitan area.
Now, behold the miracle. In less than three weeks 150,000 of him have unanimously cried "Enough ; this is the end of the section."
Public meetings have been held on every district, and in nearly every case the attendance has been unprecedented in the memory of the oldest inhabitant.
At the initial meeting a committee was appointed to organise and conduct the protest campaign. This Committee has now been assured of the support and cooperation ,of all local governing bodies on the north side of harbour.
The committee looked round for some way of getting more ferry transit. It found half s dozen formidable weapons in six large ferry boats that equalled in passenger capacity and speed the boats the Sydney Ferries, Ltd., had on the water.
Then it decided to see the Harbour Trust and put the position before the Commissioners. A thoroughly representative deputation waited on the Commissioners and received reply to the effect that if a company was formed the Trust would find wharfage.
The committee now has to consider if a new ferry would be successful.
Ald. Whatmore Interviewed.
The chairman of the committee, Ald. A. E. Whatmore, Mayor of North Sydney, in an interview, puts the case on behalf of the people of the Northern Suburbs.
"There are over 150,000 people whom we represent." said Mr. Whatmore, W"should I be penalised because I am a resident of the Northern suburbs?"
"Successive Governments have failed to provide a satisfactory answer to that question. I refer now to the construction of the North Shore Bridge. Until the transit problem is solved the development of the great Northern Suburbs is retarded enormously. I don't hesitate to say that the monopoly exercised by the Sydney Ferries Ltd, has been responsible for a depreciation in property values on the north side of the harbour.
"As far as the company's position is concerned, the matter has been thrashed out at length on many occasions. There are official figures that speak for themselves. The revenue receipts from North in 1917 was £84,000. This year the receipts irrespective of the proposed increase of 25 per cent, will be approximately £170,000.
"On these figures will the company deny the North Sydney services are earning a handsome dividend on the proportion of capital involved?
"The company has persistently evaded this vital question, and we cannot but come to the conclusion that they are afraid to admit what is obviously the truth --- that the profitable services to the North Shore have to balance the deficit sustained through the running of services less popular.
"Broadly viewed, the difficulty is one of transit between North Sydney and the Quay. The present state of affairs is totally unsatisfactory. The existing Ferry Co. cannot properly handle the enormous volume of traffic in the busy hours of the day.
"Take Milson's Point service, for instance.
"In the busy hours there are three boats in commission. The timetable is do arranged that one boat is at the Quay and the Point unloading and a third is on the water midway between the Quay and the Point. " The wharves, both at the Quay and at Milson's Point, are terribly congested, and in the boats themselves there is hardly any standing room. The addition of another boat would not help the situation : it would only tend to further dangerous congestion.
" The ferry service now is inadequate, but what will be the position in a few years time? The bridge is at the very least ten years ahead, and in the interval the population is steadily growing. " I think it is quite clear that long before the bridge is completed the ferry service will break down. It will be absolutely impossible for it to carry the enormous population of the Northern suburbs across the harbour in three years time.
" The position to vehicular traffic is, if anything, worse than the passenger traffic. The Milson's Point punt carries the whole of the vehicular and goods traffic for North Sydney, Mosman, Cremore and Manly. There is not the slightest doubt about the congestion at present existing on this punt. When one considers the areas areas it serves it is not surprising. On Monday mornings it is a common sight to a queue of vehicles wanting to cross to the city half a mile in length. On many occasions I have been at the end of a queue that extended right up the hill from the punt almost to the North Sydney Town Hall.
"The charges made by the company on the punt are also burdensome on the people as well as the owners of vehicles and cars, for all goods brought from the south to the North side bear a tax equal to the amount of the cost of transit.
"It is generally felt that this punt should be free, and I must say that is certainly unfair to impose a charge in this respect when the Government constructs bridges and provides free punts in local centres and neglects to make some provision for this one which connects a city with its largest suburban area.
"This punt problem that has to be solved is of the first importance to the North Shore. The northern suburbs are the brightest and healthiest. From all points of view North Shore is the best residential area Sydney possesses, andy yet a toll is imposed on those who elect to make their homes within its boundaries. On the northern side will some day arise a bigger, better and cleaner city than present - day Sydney, and that day cannot be long deferred when the transit problem is solved.
"An additional ferry, to my mind, is an absolute necessity. The existing service maintained by the ferry company to North Shore is well equipped and, I think it is generally admitted, could not be better managed. But the squirrel cannot move the mountain, and on matter how efficient the service becomes it cannot hope to cope with the increase the North Shore residents under the old conditions. " Should a new service come into being it could secure wharfage accomodation at Blur's Point, McMahon's Point in Lavender Bay. Passengers would be landed at the Quay on sites now occupied by the wharves of various shipping companies. If necessary the Harbour Trust, as the Commissioners intimated to the deputation recently, would displace ferries that cater for tourist traffic in the main.
"In conclusion, I would like to say that the people of the northern suburbs are determined to alter the present situation either by establishing a new ferry or by other means. The monopoly that has developed by the Sydney Ferries Ltd is dangerous, and now that the ratepayers and electors are aware of the position they have expressed their indignation in strong terms.
"If after due consideration, it is found impracticable to start another ferry, the question of resuming the water frontages and wharves owned by the Ferry Company under the Local Government Act will be investigated by the Mayor's of the different municipalities and the residents offshore council's concerned."
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