TRANSPORT—A VITAL SERVICE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 70, 4 October 1939, Page 4

TRANSPORT—A VITAL SERVICE

BECAUSE it is a vital factor in the defence and economic structure of the country, the transport industry of New Zea,land has in the present emergency been subjected to more 'control' than perhaps any other national service. The demands of efficiency in defence must of course receive first consideration but there is a possibility unless the utmost care is exercised of the Government inflicting unnecessary hardship upon individuals who earn their livelihood from the performance of the country's transport business. Just how seriously the new proposals are regarded, and just how far-reaching they will be in application, was borne out by the record attendance at the meeting convened by the Carriers' Association last Saturday evening. It is necessary in the first define clearly to what extent restrictions are imposed for legitimate defence reasons, thus indicating the extent of restriction for other purposes such an economy in petrol, conservation of foreign exchange, the elimination of competition, the protection of the railways and the "socialisation'' of the transport services. There <is admittedly room for co-operation which will result in definite benefit to the transport operators themselves, and further voluntary action on these lines will probably be taken soon. Regarding supplies of petrol, precautions have wisely been taken, but there is evidence that the precautions have erred on the side of undue pessimism. Large stocks of petrol are held in the Dominion and tankers are bringing ample quantities from refineries far removed from the present danger zones. The belief in the oil industry is that storage space will soon be fully occupied and that it will be possible to further relax the restrictions on the consumption of petrol. Transport operators are as ready as any other section of the community to make a patriotic contribution to national efficiency, and they ask only that their private business should not be subjected to restrictions that are not necessary from the national point of view as part of the war effort. On the understanding that their 'individual rights will be protected as far as possible they are- voluntarily entering into the co-ordination effort with commendable realism and zeal. The result is expected to be worth-while economy in petrol, the elimination of "dead'' running and improved efficiency in the industry.