TRANSPORT INDUSTRY

Evening Star, Issue 22452, 24 September 1936, Page 10

TRANSPORT INDUSTRY

CARRIER EMPLOYERS’ PROPOSALS CO-ORDIKATIOK WITH RAILWAYS [Pee United Peess Association.] WELLINGTON, September 24. Proposals and recommendations to bring about co-ordination and improvement in the general conditions of the carrying and transport industry in. Wellington were submitted to-day to the committee of inquiry investigating this and the taxi business throughout the Dominion. Mr Georgeson, on behalf of tho General Carriers and Custom House and Forwarding Agents’ Industrial Union of Employers, said the objective of the master carriers was the elimination of wasteful competition with 4 view to reducing the burden of national transport costs, and the better, utilisation of the capital employed* The. basis of a national scheme of coordination appeared to be that the New; Zeland railways should deal with longdistance haulage, while the mobile fleet of city and town carriers could deal with short-distance cartage to and from the railways. It was contended that all carriers should be licensed under the Transport,Licensing Act, and. be governed by court conditions, arid . be in a position to conduct sound busi- ’ ness. There should be only one licensing authority. Unless and until the exempted areas were removed there would be no means to prevent unfair competition. In order to obviate the competition experienced by the railways it was suggested that' the Government should fix flat rates, so that the rates charged would in effect demand the transportation by rail of all goods* Another detrimental fact was the P* and T. Department. The system adopted by the Post Office should be regulated on a more equitable basis.