POST-WAR MOTORING DEVELOPMENT

Chronicle (Levin), 10 September 1946, Page 2

POST-WAR MOTORING DEVELOPMENT

Report by Motor Unions A rcx>ort ou post-war motoring dcveiopment has been dra wa up by the Nortii and South Island Motor Unions anu submitted to the Primo Minister and au ; Mombers of Parliament, as the resuit of discussionsj by bot'h Unions. It reacis as i'ollows: — "A consideration of post- war motoring development opeus up fields of enquiry that should produce decisions mvoJving the whole l'uture of motoring, motor transport, the motor industry aua Automobile Associations. It involves the removal of wartime restrictions anu eontrol and in considering the future oi transport we have as a baeltground not only its vital importance in peacetime, but also its adaptatiou and use in wartime in the front line as weil as in the home front. Therc is no pliase of production or industry which doe.s not rely on roau transport and expansions of both in tlie future will call for a corresponding development in our road transport system. Unless thore is l'reedbm in the naturai development of motoring and the motor industry .and in transport facilities generaJly, the country must lag behinu overseas progress and tend to become backward not only in motoring matters but also in regard to production. "At the outset it is appropriate to eonsider to wluvt oxtent land surface ' transport is likelv to bo affected ny other meuns, such as air. ' ' There is uo doubt that the provisiou of moderu air scrvices botween maui centres of population will divert a considerable volume of passengor trathc, from surface travelling. Adaptatiou of development in wur planes, increase in pay loads and reduetion in overheaus through increase in trips lluwn, vvui probaoly reducc the cost oi fares and make air travel moro competitive witli — surface travel. Privately owned planes will also bo used to an incrcasing extent, particularly by mauy of our uien who have sorwd as pilots in the wur. Notwithstandiug these considerations, it seeius certain that post-war growth oi' population and industry in the Dominion, will involve considerabJe increase in surface tratiic over pre-war density. "Now, tlicre are certain essonlials to euable i'uli use to bo made of motor vehicles, both business and privatc. These may bc summarised as i'ollows:— 1 ' Motor vehicles, equipment and r.eplaceuient parts must not be over-burd-eued with'high customs tarilfs or undue iiuport restrictions. "It was the importation of large numbers oi' motur vehicles, agriculturaq couuuercial and privatc, tluil opened uj) this couutry and accelerated the marvellous devolopiuoni that has takou piave dunng tiie last Ihirty years. Bucli ueveiopmenl could never have been creatod il' the country bud been compelled to rely 011 rail transport alouc. I'lio Uoiuinion stiil has a large untappeu poteutiaiity l'or increased and diversined production and it is essontiai tuai Ihe laclors tlial havo been so hcJpl'ul 111 tnc pasl, pai ticuiarly motor transport, shouid conlinue, thereoy conforriug tiie advanlage oi' u.-eiul omployment upou tiie whoie comuiumty and particularly upou Ihe niou of the jighting services wno will require every lncenuve m tiie nexl decade to rehaoiliiale themseives inio civiJ ui-cupations. Oporatlon costs, such as liceuce fees, must be uouiiual. I mporlttliou of petrol, oil and tyres uiust be unrestricted and all ta.xation excejil that ailocaled l'or road coustruc lion aud maintenauce must be removed. There appears to be a body of oyiinion that. secondarv iudustrios created to supply goods that have been uuprocurafde lri-m overseas during the war, must oe maintained in ordof lo avoid releasing nianpower that might embarrass steps takou lo rehabilitalo returued ser- ' \ lcenieu. 11' such iudustrios aro to com pete prolitably tlieir costs must bc rev duced to a nuuinium and a substantial factor in such costs is Ihe abuormally heavy ta.xation burdeu at x>resent borae by ]ictroi. This laxution burdeu is not only impacted upon the cost of delivery to factories of raw matori'als but also is a major factor in the distributiou of tiie manufactured goods. There is at prescnt a popular outcry ugainst whai is aileged to be burdensouie x>etrol tax iu both (jreat llritain aud Auslralia where the rates are 9(1 in Great Uritain and 11.7- lUd in Auslfalia, couipafed wilh l/'l 7-lUd iu New Zeahiud. A continuation of this heavy charge on traus,port is unthinkuble. Furthermore this lax was originally imposed l'or the purpose oi' jirov iding and maintaining liighways ot u standard necessary for motor truHic aud il is considered tlial this questiou of funds provided l'or highways use is oue that is of the utmost. iniportance. Tlie North and Wouth island Motor Unions have repeatedly stressed this aspect (especially the com version of such funds to other uses) and are of opiniuu that this quedtion ^ should be adjusted in accordauce with the original status of motor taxation. "All main higlnvays uiust be brought v up to standard specilicatious, surfaces seal'ed and danger points eliminated and in the highways prograiunie cousideratiori must be given uot only to the construction oi' the t ype of highway to meet modern aud progressive inot.oring development. but also to beautillcation of the roadside as part; of any highways scheine and tlie p'lanting of trecs Lo xirevent siips and erosion. » "It; would appear that wider powers should be vesied in the Minister of Works aud the Main Highways Hoard in regard to the development of a nat-ion-wide arterial highway system on a long term jirogramme. The question of highway planning iiatuxally involves a

; consideration of finance aud taxation, I Highway planning is a matter of vital ' importauce to Automobile Associations ' who olt'er to tlie Uovfeniment tlieir eooperatiou 111 considering the whole question. I "There is a delinite relalionsliip be- . tweeu development of motor transport | aud tourist trallic whieh, il' placed iu i its proper perspeclive, must rank higli as an industry which atlects theicouni try 's cconomy. AutoinobiJe Associations | are aifiliated witli a world wide motor i tourist orgauisatiou and play au importaut part in tourist trade and have provided facilities over a long period of years witli a view to iiicreasing the i iiumber of overseas visitors to this j Goniiniou. "Petrol stations must provide adequate service aud restrictions imxiosed jduriug the war should be removed. "Priority shouid be afforded for inij portation of the latest types of motor i maintenauce equipment aud tools. I "lVtrol station proprietors must be I encouraged to develop tlieir stations j and euvirous on Ihe most modern principles. j "The (iovenunenl must be conlinui ously and insislently impressed with the ! potential which the motor industry proi vides for rehabilitation. [ "More atlention is required to the 1 question of Safety First than has been given in the past, tlio Iriai'oty Council haviug been allowed gradualfy to become inoperative. "Tlie followiug principle is aiiirmed: That complete abolition of wartime restrictions and control of tlie imporla tion and use of all materials essential to motor vehicles aud the motor industry, is a vitaJ necessity for tiie change over from a war to a peaee economy, to assist iii the rehabilitation of our diseharged servicemeu, and to restore tlie full benelit of motor transport to the people of the .Dominion, whieh be fore the war had the third largest motoi veliiele density in the world." /