TRANSPORT FACILITIES.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 235, 4 October 1928, Page 22

TRANSPORT FACILITIES.

MEETING AT NEW LYNN. A public meeting was held at the New Lynn Congregational Church last evening, when Messrs. J. A. Stallworthy and 2jL R. Allen addressed the residents on matters relating to transport services, as affecting the city and suburban areas. Mr. W. L. kitchener, chairman of the Town Board, occupied the chair. Mr. Stallworthy, in opening, stated that he was not there to put the Auckland City Council's point of view before them. Transport in industry was a very important matter, and not fully appreciated by business men. The ruinous legislation of the Motor Omnibus Act had compelled the Auckland City Council to purchase £64,000 worth of obsolete buses at a time when every bus company was in a state of insolvency. That panic legislation had been rushed through to protect the city tramways arid the Government railways, although the small bus companies would have undoubtedly gone to the wall, yet he believed private enterprise would haye provided services with much more satisfactory results than now existed. The | only one good'point in the Act was that it gave greater protection to the public. It gave the City Council a monopoly in transport, and also constituted that body a licensing authority. He was of the opinion that a greater danger existed if the proposed bill, setting up a transport poard, became law without modification. The Motor Omnibus Act had restricted development, and checked the movement of people from the slums to the healthier and brighter areas. They had now been compelled to return to the slums. The community, value had been set aside in lavour of the tramways undertaking of £2,000,P00. The interest of the public was more vital than the value of the tramways He was of the opinion that the outside districts would not get b ;" er J?. rvic ° " nder a transport board it the bill was to be framed on the Coinmission's report. The city tramways had not cost the city ratepayers one penny in capital cost. He believed in unification of control and private enterprise as a solution to the present trouble. An independent licensing authority should be brought into being, and this would probably restore public confidence in the council. I Mr. Allen stated that he had fought' the Motor Omnibus Act from its inception. He considered things would become worse under the proposed transport board. One solution of the trouble was to put out the Government that had caused it.