NOTES AND COMMENTS

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 258, 30 July 1942, Page 4

NOTES AND COMMENTS

The setting up of a Taxicab Control Committee jn the Wellington district will be welcomed by the public. For many weeks past it has been apparent that the normal system of supervising this branch of transport is, for the time being, inadequate. Not only have less responsible drivers failed to render the fair service expected of them, but in addition many of the large section of conscientious taximen have been handicapped by lack of proper organization of their various emergency duties as E.P.S. and E.FIS. members. Apparently the Wellington committee, in common with similar bodies in other centres, is to devise some plan by which taxi work classified/ as essential shall take precedence over other calls. As soon as the finishing touches have been put to this plan it should be explained to tho public, whose intelligent co-operation will be required. Indeed, if taxi-hiring for certain unnecessary purposes is to be refused, this should be made known in advance. It is not at present clear whether glaringly non-essential work, such as transport to sports .gatherings and purely pleasure running, is to be entirely eliminated or merely abandoned on those occasions when taxis are busy on “essential” calls.

By forming a working-bee to renovate the interior of their school assembly ball the senior boys of Rongotai College have set an excellent example, not only to other groin® of pupils but to the community in general. The present time of scarcity of labour is one in which practical self-help deserves every encouragement and commendation. Moreover, self-help is national help. Everyone who accomplishes some necessary task In his own home, without calling upon the services of tradesmen, is assisting indirectly to speed-up essential national work. Recent experience has shown that enthusiastic amateurs, ably directed, can produce astonishingly good results. For example, parties of parents and E.P.S. members working in their spare time during the summer dug and timbered some of the best shelter tranches in the Wellington district. Again, parties of Home Guardsmen, working under the guidance of one or two craftsmen, have transformed many a bleak and ill-suited company headquarters. It is a pity that such reservoir* of costless labour arc tapped only once in a while —on special, emergency occasions.