RAILWAY DEPARTMENT AND BUSES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3559, 6 November 1926, Page 2

RAILWAY DEPARTMENT AND BUSES.

At Thursday night’s meeting of (lie Foxton Chamber of Commerce, Air R. MeMurrav took strong exception to the Railway Department putting buses on to the roads, as (bey had done between Napier and Hastings. He was not now connected with a transport business, he said, and would like the Commercial branch of the N.Z. Railways to supply the Chamber with some particulars in regard to its decision lo run buses. It appeared to him that these buses would be in direct competition with (he railways, and were contrary to the avowed policy of the Railway Department that such should be feeders for the railway lines.'He thought that the people, who owned the railways, should know whether the Railway Department intended to pay the road tax, license fees, insurance, and customs duty on vehicles and tyres so used, the same as private owners were compelled to do. If not, it was very unfair competition and would perhaps ruin many who had put their all into what was quite a legitimate business. Many of these were returned soldiers, who had saAcd their pay and invested it in-buses. Continuing, he said that before the election, the Premier had a slogan of “More business in Government, and less Government in business.” This was evidently now being turned round the other way. Air IT. Osborne said he would like to see the Railway Department issue a balanje-sheet in connection with the Petone Railway workshops. It was decided to ask the manager of the commercial branch of the N.Z. Railways to attend the next meeting of the Chamber and explain the Department’s policy in regard ;,) vehicular transport.