STATE CONTPOL OF TRANSPORT

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 122, 9 June 1937, Page 4

STATE CONTPOL OF TRANSPORT

— Ptfese .AtsocUUoS.)

Chamber oi Comnierco Concerned WELLINGTON VIEWS !

fB* TelegraDh

WELDiJNUT'UiN, xnis Juay. . Coiicern at the Govef nhient 's policy respecting private road motor serviCOS competing with the railways was expressed at a meeting of the Wellington Ohamber of Commerce last night. On the motido. of Mr A. Ri Hislopj Who raised the subject, the ehamber Tesolved to call for a repoft on the question with a view to action. Mr Hislop described the Government's transport policy as striking »t a vital element in the business life of Ne^ Zealund. Road motor serVities had grown to be a substantial faCtor ili commerce, he said. The Government was making a big inroad into the services, and a large section of the public was involved. In relation to other parts bf the Dominion, -Wellington wai to be heavily dealt With. In thh Auckland atea 41 vehicles operating in competition with the railways were affected, 16 in Canterbury and 34 in Otago — a total of 91 in thoae three provinces. On the Other . hand in "Wellington there wero 105. Figures Tecently published shdwed that, compared With April, 1936, the number of men on sustenance in April of this year had increased by 3000, Mr Hislop said. If this tefidency contifi« ued how many more would ,be added by April, 1938? On the Other hand, the Acting-Prime "Minister waa appealing to Cinployers to assist the Government eby taking on mofe hands from thi ranks of the nnemployed. Mr Hislop moved that the chamber 'a transport and vigilance committees give immediate consideration to the Government's transport policy and Tepotfc back to next meeting. « Mr M. G. McCaul urged caution in any decision the chamber might reach. Transport was a diffiCUlt problCm. The chief tiuty of the chamber was to protect private business. On the other hand it had to consider Whether it wfie sound eConomics to run private trans* port in Coinpetition With the railways. Tho other side of the question was whe« ther the railways would continue working efficiently if road competition. were removed. Mr W. Schierning said" that the Government was Simply giving effect t% legislation passed by the previous. Government. »It was tOo late to do anything, because it was the law of th» land, and the Government waa committed to it. In attempting to do any-i thing the chamber Woula be merely beating the air. The chamber had succeesfnUy protested an the patet against actions by 4 Government, said Mr Ji T. Martin. Th6 chamber was within its rights in making. a protest against legislation that had a tendency to destroy private enterprise. , The president, Mr A. J. Curtis, recalled that the chamber htd effectively ptorested against proposed action by the late Government on various occasions. The present Government had, however, apparently made up its anind.