The Press Friday, February 27, 1931. Transport.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20173, 27 February 1931, Page 10

The Press Friday, February 27, 1931. Transport.

The Bpyal Commission on Transport in Great Britain Las issued its final report at a time when the subject has a special invest in the Dominion. The Prime Minister's recent statement announced a striking change in railway policy* by which control will be delegated to a non-political board. Ho promised also an early investigation of rural rating, which must of course be closely connected with the other investigation to be carried out, into highways finance; but Mr Forbes made it fairly obvious that, whatever the results of these enquiries may be, the Government will continue to relieve the Consolidated Fund by paying the local authorities subsidies out of highways funds and for the same purpose will introduce other "radical changes" in road finance. A. single hint of their extent appeared in the remark that the "earmarked revenues are at present " more than sufficient to .cover the f maintenance expenditure on, high- " ways." Without consideiing < the possibility of a Transport Bill, all this makes it obvious that within the next few months Parliament will take a number of decisions that must closely affect trade and production, It,, ought also to- be * obvious that Parliament should act tentatively and in many ways conservatively. In much more favourable circumstances, and with the help of an exhaustive enquiry by experts, Parliament might safely undertake the task of " co-ordinating trans- " port." , At present, to go farther than it is possible to See quite clearly, which is not far, would certainly be to take enormous risk 3 ans probably to injurious mistakes. Pai'liament should therefore do nothing that is not plkinly justified by the present situation and nothing that cannot easily be- modified or undone, later. Anything like an effort to,, hurry on that f.co-ordination of transport" for which' Ministers havo been itching must be rash; and it is to be hoped that the Government will be warned by the Boyal Commission's refusal to recommend apy attempt yet at Homo. Commissioners <( confess that for " the present [they] see no positive "solution," but are convinced ..that " any Attempt at compulsion or coeir u cion" would be "a great blunder. Nevertheless, their report contains a jn&ny positive recommendations, some of .which, .bear directly on Mr proposes and ljinfs. For exprotest against the practWv# favourite with Mr Churchill — ■Road Fundi as Mj d<ji/and ;P&fußd^bould motorists .reading. JEn Zealand this prrncmjfc diyort to the, rgacfa the la*Ps of Jiaid by motor .transport; though it iii s&dom credited ,tq pßjrtww duties and primage oq raqfor vehicles, and parts, W&e'^Uaated' bo considered. apart. 5^