“INIQUITOUS WEAPON”

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 203, 16 November 1927, Page 12

“INIQUITOUS WEAPON”

ROSKILL HOSTILE TO TRANSPORT SCHEME BUSES, NOT TRAMS WANTED “Transport control is the most iniquitous weapon ever placed in the hands of one local body to choke the life blood out of a surrounding district. We are now without transport, and we must bring pressure to have the omnibus legislation repealed.” TT Avas thus that Mr. G. C. Munns, A chairman of the East Mount Roskill Ratepayers’ Association addressed the Mount Roskill Road Board last evening, urging combined action by all the outside bodies Avith the object of forwarding a proposal to have a transport board formed, to deal with the whole of greater Auckland. He said the people Avere up in arms, and complaints were rife in every suburb. “Repeal the Act and let us get the buses back. It Avill be three years before the tram extensions can function, and Ave don’t want trams anyhoAV. Buses are the only transport that can serve us, and buses Ave must have.” REFUSAL TO FINANCE TRAMS “You are to have a conference Avith Mount Eden Borough Council on November 22. Attack this question Avithout fear, and in the spirit your ratepayers would have you attack it. About 75 per cent, of them say, ‘Gentlemen, w r e want buses,’ we refuse to pay for tram extensions, ” stated Mr. A. E. Roxburgh, chairman of the Roskill transport committee. “Clean this awful legislation off the statute book. Its only effect Has been to tie the hands of local bodies in the Greater Auckland area, and set back the progress of the suburbs. We intend to combine these suburbs into one powerful body, and petition Parliament to carry out our wishes.” Mr. G. F. Jones, chairman of the board, expressed appreciation of the Avork being done by the association, and said the cancelling of the buses had been a retrograde step. A letter from the secretary of the association advised that it Avas endeavouring to devise a scheme for the betterment of transport to the district, and Avould co-operate with other bodies in endeavouring to get a transport board. The City Council had raised fares out of all reason after securing a monopoly they had secured of their own will. The bus services had paid under private ownership, but under the council they had been managed to show losses, and then withdrawn. “We ask the board to act at once before irreparable injury results to the district from the arbitrary action of those in 'whom power is temporarily vested,” concluded the letter in asking the board to approach Parliament, and the members for the district to secure remedial action. BOARD SUPPORTS DEPUTATION After the deputation withdrew the board considered the question of transport in committee, taking up the view that the values and prospective progress under the new unimproved rating system, Avere being most detrimentally affected by the transport problem. The board decided to protest immediately to the Prime Minister, the Minister of Public Works, and the Auckland members of Parliament, and to bring the question forAvard at the conference of local bodies provisionally fixed for November 22.