TRANSPORT BILL GIVEN SECOND READING

Chronicle (Levin), 13 August 1948, Page 7

TRANSPORT BILL GIVEN SECOND READING

Special Committee is To Hear Evidence WELLINGTON, August 12. Tlie transport mdustry had provided usoful uieans 'of rehabilitating exservieeinen and despite diiiicuities ' in connection with doilar funds, endeavours were beiug made to assist exservicemen obtain suitable vehicles from other sourees, said Mr. J. B. F. Cotterill (Wanganui, Labour), in the House of Eepresentatives this afternoon when the seeond reading del)ate on • the Transport • Law Amendinent Bill was continued. Discussing the taxi position Mr. Cotterill said the question of whether there were sufiic.ient taxis- in any centre inust always be a difficult oue. In a rush period it might be hard to obtain a taxi but it sudicient were available to nieet the needs of the community during that period, the operation of an individual taxi business niight become uneeononuc iieeause of the nuinber of cabs that would be available at slaek - periods. Mr. Cotterill stressed that the rami/ications of the transport industrv must be taken into consideration and it must be realised that a huge amount of money was invested in the railways apart from the sum invested in a'll fonus of road transport. In addition there was a large capital sum invested in eoastal shipping. There had bcen a rapid growtli of the air transport system. The Kailways were important to New Zealand aml always would be ind the interesl of the community had ;o be proteeted by ensuring that all l'onns of transport were utilised to the best advautage. Capital invested in Ihe railways and in shipping, road and air services should not be destroyed by ihe use of oue fonn of transport to the detriment of others. The purpose of the Bill was to serve the best interests of the community by coordinating t ransport services, and to serve the best interests of tliose engaged in the industrv itself. Mr. Ilackett, replyiug to the debate, said the Opposition attack on the proposed Transport Coordination Council as set out in tlie Bill, was unwarranted. The Council was to be composed of tnen who had spent all their working vears in some form of transport. Opposition voiee: The Commissioner of Policef Mr. Ilackett said many of the men were specialists and- their knowledge would be of great value to the countrv. The Minister said that what the New Zealand Kailways liad to face was the fact that after so many years of vvar. . . Mr. Macklev: The war is a great refuge. Mr. Hackett went • on to say that materials whieh the railways required had increased in piice up to 100 per cent. wliich meant that there was "less in the kitty" at Ihe end of the cear. New Zealand had a railwav service it couhl not alford to neglect because that system was likelv to l>e the main transport system for years to come. Mr. Hackett said he had often wondered why some of the deliciencies m Vhe railways. , could no,t be booked up U) the Minister of. Def'ence because •ifter all the railways were an integrai part in the defence of New Zealand. He said that the coordination of all

irausport services was absolutely eseential. - An alarming statement had been made by the riiember for Ashburton when he said that a case could be made out for the delicensing of tfansport. The only case that could be made out was piraling, the working of long hours for small wages and for taxidrivers to use the baek seats of their ears for beds. Operators of taxis could only. give -the service if there were* wa'ys and nieans of those wanting to hire them, tnaking contact with them. Power to instruct taxidrivers - b,o belong to" }in organisation was, tlierofore, included iii tiie Bill. ' Many returned servicemen had 'shown preference for the" transport industry and had it not been for the measuring rod that was put over them by the Kehabilitation Department a lot would have been "on the rocks" today. >Some were, in fact, in a bad way. 'Now there was a type oi car comin'g on to the English markel in the near future, which would be i;uitable for taxi work and which would be reasonably priced. Nogotiations to procure some of these : cars were in train. The Government's view was that therp would always be room for private 'enterprise in the transport industry but it also belies'ed that the great public investment in the railways must be proteeted. Prior to 1936-37 something like 100,000 tons of coai was imported annually but not oue ton was used on the railways. Today the Govornment had scouts all over the world looking for coal and all that had been imported was debited to the Kailways Department which had .to pay , about £5 a ton more for • it lhan it would for, local coal. The railways wages bill was £10,375,000 in 194748 compared with .£3, 650.0.00 in 1935 and if that was responsiblc for the loss, as tlie member for Wairarapa had suggested, tlien he regretted to say that next vear's loss would bc as mui-h as last year's. The Bill was given a second reading and is to be referred to a special committee. Tlie Seleet Committee set up will eomprise the following members: — I Messrs. Cotterill, Gerard, Goosman, ( Maefarlane, ^lacklev, Matliison, T. E. f Skinner, Smith, and Hackett. j Mr. Hackett. replyiug to a question askcd bv Mr. Mackley, said the com- : mittee would meet in the near future I — perhaps tomorrow — when it would j seleet a chairman and tlien .lix a date i when it would take evidence.