ROAD SERVICES

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 135, 9 June 1937, Page 11

ROAD SERVICES

PROPOSED PURCHASE

WELLINGTON'S POSITION

RIGHTS OF PRIVATE ENTERPRISE

Several aspects of the Government's proposal to take over certain road transport services, as announced yesterday, were discussed at last night's meeting of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, which decided to refer the whole question to the transport committee for consideration and report.

Mr. A. K. Hislop said that the move was directed r.t an important section of the community. The road transport services of New Zealand were a big factor today, and this proposal would affect a large section of the business community. He thought that in relation to the other centres the Wellington area was going to be heavily dealt with. In Auckland there were 41 vehicles concerned, in Canterbury 16, and in Otago 34, a total of 91; in Wellington alone the number was 105. They had-read that from April, 1936, to April, 1937, the number of men on sustenance had increased by 3000. There' were more than nineteen thousand on sustenance at present; how many were going to be added to that large number by April, 1938?

The Government, said Mr. Hislpp, was appealing to business men to give further employment; but how was that to happen when business was attacked from this angle? The proposal would throw many firms out of business. Mr. M. G. G. McCaul said that there were various important aspects of the question to be considered, and very careful thought must be given to the problem, and no hasty decision reached.

LEGISLATION OF FORMER GOVERNMENT.

Mr. W. Schieming said the previous Government passed this legislation, but had not acted on it. The present Government was simply going on with it, and anything the committee might do would, he thought, be too late. He did not see what they could possibly do. It was the law of the land, and the Government was committed to it. : Mr. J. T. Martin said they were well within their rights in making a protest against any action that tended to destroy private industry. He hoped that the matter would be investigated very carefully by the committee and referred back to the chamber; and, if necessary, a protest could be made to the Government. The president (Mr. A. J. Curtis) said "that the Government had evidently made up its mind that its transport policy would be carried out. The chamber, he considered, should take the very strongest objection to Government interference in private enterprise.