TRANSPORT CONTROL

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 154, 17 July 1937, Page 7

TRANSPORT CONTROL

— Press Association.)

Complete Nationalisation is Not Intended EFFICIENCY IS THE AIM

(By Telegrapk-

WELLINGTON, This Day. "Your fcar that the taking-over of the long-distance freight services by the Eailways Department is a preliminary to taking over all ±'°rms oi goods transport is quite unfounded, said the Minister of Transport m a fetter read by the president of the New Zealand Farmers' Union, Mr W. W. Mulholland, at the annual conference of that body at Wellington yesterday. Tho Minister went on to say that the Government 's proposals covered oniy 197 trucks out of a total of 45,000 in the Dominion. The Government was not arbitrarily " strangling " road transport in l'avour of tlio raiiways. It was fully recognised that, on accdunt of its flexibility and mobility, motor transport all'orded a wonderful service for the rural areas. The 60le p.im: of the Government was to increase the efficiency of all forms of transport. Expcrience had showu that it was possible to bullc the freights of tlie long-distanco road ' services and haul them on tlie raiiways without any dcterioration in tlie standard of servico. While tho "truck ratc" system had provcd the prac'ticability of co-ordinatiug tho lougdistanco road and raii services, it had also shown that the possibilities of coordination were limited so long a3 road services were organised in small units and until tho oue ownership embraced both services. The conference made tho following resolution: — "That this conference entirely disagreos that 'single ownership' of transport services is ewsential to tlieir efficient operation and states emphatically that, if co-ordination can bo brought about only by tlie elimination oi' smali operators, it would be too dearly purchased and the idea should be abandoned. . . The mobillty and flexibility of motor transport would be largely destroyed if ginall units wero eliminated. . . The statenicnt that only 197 trucks out of 4.j,(l(J'i uro all'ected sbows that the action can not affect the cocrdination of transport as suggested . - . unless a very much greatcr exteusion of control is intended."