NATIONAL TRANSPORT SERVICES

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23976, 17 June 1943, Page 3

NATIONAL TRANSPORT SERVICES

NEED FOR CO-ORDINATION EMPHASISED (P.A.) AUCKLAND, June 16. The vital need to co-ordinate national transport services was emphasised by the chairman Of directors of the Northern Steamship Company (Sir Ernest Davis) at the company’s annual meeting to-day. He suggested that the Government be asked to consider the appointment of a council, or committee, representing employers and employees in the rail and road services, shipping, and ship-building, this body to be composed of men intimately associated with all related transport services and industries, in order to produce a scheme to protect vital individual interests and at the same time promote prosperity. If something like this was not done, the end of the war would find New Zealand’s national transport services, except perhaps the railways, in a grave position, said Sir Ernest. He did not think air services would supersede land or sea services in and round the Dominion, or even as far as the South Pacific island trade was concerned, for many years. Great quantities of goods would continue to be carried in ships. It could be taken for granted that the occupation of south Pacific islands by United Nations’ forces would result in large areas in the tropics being brought into production. Great opportunities would open up for the export of primary produce to the islands. At Auckland to-day a large shipbuilding industry, brought into being by the necessities of war, was operating, and this industry should not be allowed to perish in times of peace. The development of air services, he suggested, should proceed concurrently with wise shipping expansion, linked to the main arterial road and rail systems of the comitr