TRANSPORT PROBLEMS

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 60, 8 September 1926, Page 9

TRANSPORT PROBLEMS

■TRAMS VERSUS BUSES

A PROTRACTED DISCUSSION

sill: passes second reading.

The much-discussed bus .v. tram' problem was again under considera- , tion in 1;ho House of Representatives last night, when the Motor Omnibus Traffic Bill, bused on the. recommendations mado by the Select Committee which was set up ■to consider a number of petitions bearing on the subject, was before, tho House. After a discussion ox- . tending over nearly five hours, tho Bill was read a. second time. ' 'I'he Minister of Justice (the Hon. I'1. J. Eolleston) moved tho second reading of tho Bill on behalf of the Prime Minister. Tho Bill, he said, was on the lines of the recommendations of the . Select Committee. Ho thought it was generally admitted that the tramways were tho most effective moans of transport, and for that reason they could not bo jeopardised. There had been serious competition by privately-owned buses, and it had been found that the .only way to deal with tho problem was to give the municipalities a measure of control. In order that the Bill should not act harshly, provision was made.that the municipalities should take over buses, and that they should give an undertaking that they would provide a satisfactory service. Tho districts defined by tho Bril were the same as those which were set out in the original - regulations. Two kinds of license were contemplated—one to establish an omnibus service and the other to use .a motor-omnibus. The Act would bo in full effect on Ist November, 1926. ' . ■ Sir Joseph Ward (Inyoreargill): . "Who are tho licensing authorities*" Tho Minister:, "They'are to bo appointed by the Governor-General.'' Sir Joseph Ward: "They wouldn't, be a muncipality ; owning the trams?" The Minister: "That might bo so, but thero is provision for a Transport Board of. Appeal." Tho licensing authority would have tho right to fix routcsj faros, and time-tables. Whero a bus ran in a district served by the trains, buses would havo to charge an extra 2d oxer the faro charged in lespect of the existing service. There ■were also provisions making it obligatory on the part of bus-owners to cover the buses by insuranco against accidents. Tho amount of insurance was not set out in the Bill, but would bo fixed later by rsgulation. One of the main clauses in tho Bill'provided for the compensation that was to bo paid to bus-owners. NO GOODWILL TO BE PAID. Sir Joseph Ward: "Is there to be goodwill?" i T,he Minister: "No." Mr. V. H. Potter (Rbskill): "Why not?" The Minister: "The committee did not recommend it." Mr. E. J. Howard (Christehureh South):' "The regulations killed the goodwill." The Minister went on to explain that the amount to bo paid by the munic,i- ---' pality as compensation was to be agreed upon by the parties, and if no agreement^ could be arrived at the matter Was to be referred to a Compensation Court. ' The personnel of the Transport Appeal Board was practically identical with that sot up under the original regulations. There was a provision giving 50 people, in any district, the right 'to.■petition for a motor omnibus service. ■■■■'• Mr. J. 'A. Lee (Auckland East): "Are there any penalties provided for in the Bill?" • Mr. Potter: "They arc all on the buses." Tho committee, said tho Minister, had recommended that a metropolitan board be set up in Auckland, but it. had been found impossiblo to do that. LABOUR'S ATTITUDE. The Leader of the' Opposition (Mr. H. E. Holland) gave support to the principles contained in the' Bill. The Labour Party had always stood for community service, as against private, service. It could not be disputed that the- tramways were the best means of transport, but at tho same tiino they had to realise that the day of the buses, as an adjunct to the tram service, could not be postponed. The bus,es, however, could not be allowed to compete against tho tramways, for the upkeep of which the people as a whole were rated. To do so would be to permit an economic loss. The Labour Party did not like tho idea of tho regulations being brought in by Ordcr-in-Council, and for that i'eason they welcomed the legislation. Under the regulations, the law was openly defied, and tho Leader of, the Opposition instanced the. case of a Crown Prosecutor who was a principal of one of the companies which defied the law. LEGISLATION BUSHED THROUGH. ' Mr. A. Harris (Waitemata) protested very strongly against the proposal that they should make the Bill law that night before tho people interested had , had an opportunity of considering it's N provisions. The Bill prejudicially affected very many people throughout tho Dominion, and it was a. disg-racc that the legislation should be .rushed through, especially when it was not necessary. By rushing tho Bill through, tho Government was disregarding a petition that was signed by 100,000 people'in all parts of tho "Dominion. Ho was not surprised that the Labour Party should support the Bill, and ho was.beginning to wonder if they did not have a Socialistic party on the Treasury Benches. If ,the Labour Party had been on the Government Benches and had brought down similar legislation, he ventured to say that every member outsido the Labour Party would have slated them right und loft. At tho present time the Wellington Corporation was using a universal fare of 3d, but if tho Bill ■' became' law there would bo nothing to stop tho Corporation putting tho fares up, and he ventured to say that they would go up. ■ Mr. P. Frascr (Wellington Central): "The electors would have something to say about that." Dealing with the compensation clause Mr. Harris said that if the Bill went through buses would be worth nothing at all. "It looks more like confiscation than compensation," declared Mr, Harris. Proceeding to deal with Takapuna, Mr. Harris declared that the Government had given a special preference to tho Takapuna Tramway and Ferry Company. The effect of the Bill would be to -put £100,000 into the pockets of the company, and ruin •mother private company. Sir. John Luke (Wellington North) generally supported the Bill, and urged the necessity of giving compensation to bus owners who were affected by the Bill. i INTO THE BANKRUPTCY COURT. "I don't think it redounds to the credit of the Government that this legislation should-bo brought down'in this, way-and passed in one sitting," Baid Mr. V. H. Potter (R-oskill). No ■ consideration had boon given to the people most vitally affected by tho Bill. The Government could dispose of the Licensing Bill and tho Gaming Bill, in a vory convenient fashion, but they thought it was their duty to go ahead with a Bill that would drive many people into tho Bankruptcy Court. Mr. Potter expressed surpriso that 11to Bill was being handled by a Minister who had had no opportunity of heating any

of tho evidence before tho committee. The speaker also criticised the administration of the Auckland City Council, especially in regard to tho tramways. Thero would have been no such Bill as the present before tho House if it had not been for the fact that the Auckland City Council camo cap in hand to the Government for assistance, which had been only too'readily granted. Mr. ■Potter also dealt with tho districts around Auckland, and. said ho could not Understand why the Government had not seen fit to "set up a Metropolitan Board. ■ • MORE TIME WANTED. The Bight Hon. Sir Joseph AVard (jnvercargill) said that a Bill should havo been introduced earlier in. the session in order that the whole country might hare had an' opportunity of considering the matter. Thero were somo points in the Bill which-.ho very strongly disagreed with, and he would have liked to-havo had tho opportunity of gaining tho. views of those directly interested in his electorate; He did not like the proposed licensing authorities. They 'were proposing to givo a municipality tho power to decide what their opponents should do, and he bolicved thfvs there ought to be an independent licensing authority. ■ The Minister of Justice: "You havo an Appeal Board."

Sir Joseph Ward replied that nobody who had any large interest in buses would have any great feeling of confidence in the board: In regard to the sale of the buses, it was not a fair thing to' lay it down that there should be no goodwill. Sir Joseph AVard quarrelled with the views expressed by the Leader of the Opposition in regard to community ownership, and asked, if Mr. Holland would .support a proposal that there should bo a State newspaper and that every other paper should charge twopence more. Logically he would have to support such a proposal. ■. After the Minister of Justice had briefly'replied, tho Bill was read a second time.