MOTOR TRANSPORT

Opotiki News, Volume II, Issue 258, 13 November 1939, Page 2

MOTOR TRANSPORT

AMALGAMATION WANTED/ GOVERNMENT INSISTENCE / ' OPOTIKI OPPOSITION A fully-attended meeting of the Opotiki Carriers’ Association was held on Friday evening, to consider the Government- policy • concerning transport. Following the recently declared policy of the ‘Government, co-ordination committees were set up for twenty one districts in New Zealand;, such committees each consisting of.‘three members appointed respectively by operators, Railway Department and the Transport Department. The operators’ representative on the Bay of Plenty Committee, Mr. V. G. Florey, had previously met the Association and had reported on the result of a conference of the combined co-or-dination committees. He liad stated that the Government insisted on amalgamation or co-ordination failing which the industry was threatened with elimination. - • •

The first matter considered was that of amalgamation. The meeting unanimously decided not to consent to an amalgamation of the various businesses in the Opotiki district and notwithstanding, the frequent assertions of the Minister of Transport that the Government, had no intention of taking over'the transport industry expressed grave fears that such was ..the Government’s ultimate object. The greatest harmony exists in this district between, users and operators and members felt that amalgamation would be looked upon by the users as a combine and would tend to increase competition by ancillary users who were entirely free from the various restrictions placed, on licensed carriers. Regarding co-ordination the industry in this district had for some time past done its utmost in this direction.. It was hampered however by the services recently set- up by the Railway Department in direct competition with local carriers. The services were hot controlled by the rules of the Association but were a law unto themselves, and so- long as they continued to exist complete co-oAlinatkm“iii the district could not be affected. The proposed rules'of the New Zealand Carriers’ Federation were-consid-ered, and it was decided to protest against the setting up of district associations cii the ground's that such associations were superfluous and had the effect of adding unnecessary expense to the individual operator. it was considered that branches should continue to deal direct with the head office as in the past, and .that- matters affecting the whole district could he dealt, with by a small advisory hoard as had worked out most satisfactorily in the Ray of Plenty District.