TRANSPORT BILL BEFORE COMMONS

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5281, 18 December 1946, Page 5

TRANSPORT BILL BEFORE COMMONS

( Press Assn.

SOCIALISATION PLAN HUGE SUM TO PURCHASE MAJOR SERVICES o "•

„ A ;^sn» Rec . 9.80 v.m.)

LONDON, Dec. 17. Moving the second reading of tlie Transport Bill in the House oi Commons Mr. Aifred Barnes, Minister of Transport, said this Wiis the largest socialisation measure ever presented to a free (Lmocratic Parliament. The sum of ^£1,065,000,000 was involved immediately in \he taking over oi' the railways and the London Pnssenger Transport Board. He had no hesitation in rejecting requests for an inquiry before socialisation action was reuired, said Mrd Barnes, arid he saw nothing- to support such a demand. The electorate had endorsed the nationalisation principle. Mr. Barnes said that as a result of wartime deterioration a very large capital expenditure was needed to bring- transport to a standard of efficiency. "With diff'iculties of materials gnd manpower we cannot alford to allow separate ownership to compete for capital resources which must g'0 vvnere fhey are most needed, and where they will best serve the r.ational interests," he added. Only a unified transport system could give sparsely-populated rural districts the transport they needed, .he Minister proceeded. The Transp;»rt Commission would have the task iii rebuilding' Britain's railway stations. Methcd of Compensation

The Government felt it had adopted a simple, easy and fair method of compensation which, if taken as £900,009, 000 for the four main-line railroad companies, represcnted about a 25 years' purchase at the averag'e .net revenue during the .hree years 1935 to 1937." °" Mr. Barnes said, that under t>he -ompulsory aequisition terms of the clauses relating to road haulage he a nticipated over 2000 undertakings would be taken over, with about 20,000 vehicles, making* a total, with railway motor vehicles, of about "30.000 to 35,000. Ports and harbours were brought into the seheme to ensure that whatcver capital resources were needed to increase their etficiency would he available. When the House m.et two petitions were presented protesting' against the nationalisation of the road transport industry by Mr. O. B. Poole (on ;:ehalf of 74,611 people of the West Midlands), and by Mr. Turton 011 behalf of 62,000 people of Yorkshire.