SOCIALISED TRANSPORT

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 159, 23 July 1937, Page 4

SOCIALISED TRANSPORT

Farmers and retailers are vitally concerned in the Socialist Government's declared policy of nationalising the motor-transport service of the country. The obvious intention is to eliminate all road transport for the carriage of goods in competition with the raiiways. For those who place the attainment of Socialism as desirable at all costs this policy is quite acceptable, but the average New Zealander, whoso time is spent in trying to make an honest living, will find that Socialism can be an expensive luxury. A S.ocialised goods-carrying service can only be attained at the cost of wide-spread inconvenience to the users of transport uuder existing conditions; nor is the Eailway Department, once effective competition is eliminate d, likely, with the spur of such competition removed, to provide a service of fequivalent conA-enience to that now . obtainable by thoso who have to ship goods. With the private motor iiidustry, consideration for the customer comes first. Organised as such serviees are on a small-scale local basis, there is a personal touch between them and their customers that is of great advantage to the shipper. Knowing as he does the individual requirements of his customer, the local goods transport operator can study his requirements as regards timo and rate of ^delivery, and consult his convenionce in cases of special urgency or unusual conditions of delivery. It often happens that business firms require specially small or specially urgent deliveries, and that at odd times. Organised on a large scale, and with a fairly xigid timetable, to take large loadings, the railway cannot cater for this class of business, and if they obtained a monopoly of transport a service of this type, at tihxes of great value to business people and the public, would cease to be available.