TRANSPORT SYSTEM

Hokitika Guardian, 29 August 1929, Page 2

TRANSPORT SYSTEM

RAILWAYMEN URGE STATE CONTROL.

The question of road versus railway transport was discussed at a meeting 01 the Tharndon branch of the A.S.R.S. yesterday, and the following statement was adopted:

“Members of the Thorndon branch of' the A.S.R.S. heartily approve the proposal of the Prime Minister to write off the capital borrowed for railway construction from railway accounts, and to make the interest on such a charge on the Consolidated Fund. At present the railways are expedited to provide from pannings interest on money borrowed lor construction, as well as to maintain rolling stock, and the permanent way. On the other hand road transport has only to keep a vehicle in order and to pay a small sum towards the construction and upkeep of the roadway, the greater part of this falling on the community, including railwayman, wh therefore in a manner of speaking compelled to pay a subsidy 'to a transport system which is competing u unfair terms with the railways.

“We desire also to impress spon the Prime Minister that our present transport methods are wasteful and uneconomic, and that as long as transportis organised in competitive grpu-ps the best transport at the lowest post cannot be expected. The internal transport’ of any country is best and most economically handled by one organisation with complete control. The present wasteful competition system of small units must give way to unified control, and it is in the public interests that nationalisation of our transport agencies should be undertaken before the drift becomes much more costly. “For these valid reasons we urge on the Prime Minister that without delay a national system of transport be inaugurated and that -as the Railway Department has the. organisation and the machinery unffied control of the transport system of this country should be vested in the New Zealand Railways.”