TRANSPORT REFORM

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 161, 2 April 1919, Page 9

TRANSPORT REFORM

THE ESSENTIAL FACTOR IN ECONOMIC

REFORM LESSONS OF THE WAR (By "An Expert" in the "Daily Mail.") The prospect of a Ministry of Transport gives rise to the hope that something will be clout, at once to put the Primo Minister's 'promise of laud development into operation. The success of any scheme will depend largely upon efficient road transport organisation. It is natural: that soldiers, after years of struggle, will not be prepared to domicile themselves in isolated districts unless there is adequate means of conveyance for them to travel to largo villages or towns where they can find association and recreation. Soldiers have become accustomed to comradeship and assemblies; they will work in isolation, pro-vided'there-'is something to look forward to at the' end of a day's work and at week-ends. To this end the Government should see that every faeilily for travel is afforded to the man whom they hope to put on to the land, Regular transport services should bo established. The old country carrier with his coach-like- vehicle and slowmoving horse has for centuries been u national asset, but in these days ot speedy movement this means of conveyance is neither popiiilar nor 1 practical. Fast-moving motor vehicles are required. For'a long time to come the establishment of such services will not be commercially possible; therefore the Government .should step into the breach and meet tho situation.' The vehicles used might 'be of a composite type, constructed to carrv both passengers and horticultural produce. For a considerable time the ltoad Transport- Board, the Ministry of Food, and the Board of Agriculture have been urging traders to pool their' vehicles or to practise what Js known as collective distribution—the Boad Transport Board on account of, the ishortage of .petrol and horses; the' Ministry of Food for expeditious delivery and to cheapen the price of food by lowering the cost of transport, and also to allow the transport man-power, to be used elsewhere; and, finally, the Board of Agriculture to enable more time to be given to land cultivation. The Railway Executive also stepped in and informed the public that bulk consignment of produce would lessen'their difficulties' to/handling goods. The situation has altered as regard? petrol and horses, but it. is still urgently necessary to endeavour to lower the price of foodstuffs and for as much attention as'possible' to be given to .the land 50 that tho country shall continue to a considerable extent self-supporting;

:.v Valuable War Lessons.. It would be calamitous: if- the lessons leftrned during thewar were forgotten in peace, and many of these'lessons apply to organisation in road transport. It is not desirable that any projected 'Government, transport'facilities' should compete with or discourage-' private enterprise. On the contrary, any service opened should only bs maintained until such time as private enterprise considers the project commercially attractive/'ln many' parts of rural England omnibus services have been established, but their operations are limited to the' better-populated' districts. Companies now operating should be encouraged to extend their activities. There is urgent need to link up: outlying villages with the • iieavest railways, ■so. that agricultural' aiid horticultural produce can bo conveyed speedily to large centres of population. The' establish'' ment by the Food Production Department of "small markets" has :been .a great boon, but the .fact remains that large I 'towns must of necessity still receivo adequate supplies of country pro-", duce; otherwise shortages'will occur and prices will rise commensurately. London will always be dependent upon all pnrts of England for its supplies, but it is common knowledge that thousands of tons of country produce are yearly railed to London and then rerailcd to "the provinces, mainly because the provincial towns, through lack of rural development (largely attributable to the inadequacy of rural road-transport facilities) are not self-supporting. towns Self-Supplying. . By making town's'-easily accessible by road to their adjacent ;rural -districts there is hardly any provincial centre that could not be made, in so far as horticultural produce is concerned;: selffeupplying. Stopping-places on any road routes established could be made "halts," similar to those on. railways, and there is little doubt that these-would quickly .becomo the recognised collecting and distributing points of their' districts. In some cases it. might be found advantageous to run light subsidiary services from these "halts" to .more remote districts, for it must be remembered that the moro remote the district the greater the need to encourage its; development Plntforms should be erected at the "halts" raised from the ground lo the height of tho average motor-lorry. These "halts;" in addition to' being used for market produce and other goods, would be suitable for the milk industry. For the last two years milk collection has been a source of anxiety to the Ministry of Food, and latterly to the-Road Transport Board. In many districts, owing to lack of transport organisation, there hns been no ' dependence on regular supplies. Rarely 'does the farmer, as in days gone by. bring his milk to the nearest station: he depends entirely upon the milk wholesaler

(or its collection. All the farmer docs is to deposit his churns nt tho corner of the lane connecting his farm with a main road, and in many cases ho does not even do this,- Jiut insists upon the motor:lorry being sent to the dnorcf his farm. Ofttjmes. lorries break down, and the milk goes uncollected. Where the churns ore simply dumped, at the ends of lanes they become rusty' 'and unclean through exposur-V, and m summer there is always danger of tho milk becoming sour. All this could be obviated liv. the establishment of regular transport services. Better Roads Essential. The roads of the country are in a deplorable condition, especially those of second and third-class standards. The i'.enyy .'l.l-ton lorries now used in milk collection are daily making the condition of these roads worse, and, in many cases.they now resemble roads in Prance which have been subjected 'o shell-fire. The lanes down which these lorries pass In (he farms are in a, very much worse condition than the roads. It 'is inconceivable that, this condition of things can be allowed to continue. By the establishment of "halls" (hero will be a definite place for farmers to bring their milk, and by regularly of transport service dairymen will be certain of their supplies and the public will beneiit. ;.lt is.certain that balh farmers and dairymen would welcome the suggested innovation, and that a great stimulus would he given to the whole dairy trade. Individually-owned motor transport for horticulturists on a large scale is impossible until prices ot vehicles becomo lower and local repair facilities are available; No new or second-hand vehicle can run for loilg without repair on roads which nre in an appalling condition. Traders throughout the' cotihtry know Hint if it had not been for the Bond Transport Board being able to miiter assistance when their vehicles broke down, much milk must have gone In' waste' and quantities of foodstuffs would have- perished. The Government Committee on Transport recently reported that "it would be a pity if fho knowledge acquired by 'the Boad Transport Board during the. war could not be usefully employed in (lis work of reconstruction." Surely now'is (he t:nie for (hat knowledge to be mnde available for the benefit:'o'f traders generally, and especially for those who have many disadvantages to bear by reason of their being situated- in rural districts?