Only One Remedy

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 287, 24 February 1928, Page 16

Only One Remedy

SUBURBAN TRANSPORT ELECTED BOARD WANTED COMMISSION UNNECESSARY Deputations from all the outside local bodies in Auckland area will wait upon the Prime Minister protesting against a costly Transport Commission, and advocating the setting up of a metropolitan board to control transport. decision was reached when -*• some twenty-five delegates from the outside local bodies met at Mount Eden last evening with the idea of arriving at some degree of unanimity on the suburban attitude toward the approaching Transport Commission. The replies to inquiries made by Mount Eden indicated a considerable difference of opinion. Mr. E. H. Potter, Mayor of Mount Eden, remarked that the general consensus of opinion seemed to favour an independent Transport Board. He suggested that the Prime Minister might be informed that the outside local bodies did not desire a commission, and particularly they did not desire to discuss the relative values of different forms of transport. What they did want was an elected and representative body to take over entire control. Discussion of details obscured the real issues, and this had been made obvious in the case of the Water Commission, the report having failed in the object desired, namely, the ownership and management of the water supply. The local bodies neither asked for nor wished for the commission, and suffered nothing but injury by it, and that they were called upon to pay costs merely added insult to injury. The matters which the Transport Commission would deal with were matters that were typically for decision by a board after its appointment. If the Government decided to continue with the commission, then the whole inquiry should be limited to the question of the advisability of the formation of a Metropolitan Transport Board. CHANCE MUST BE TAKEN j Discussion opened on the line that j the outside bodies would gain nothing jby boycotting the commission, this being the only means of voicing their grievances. Mr. Titchener (New Lynn) said his area was entirely opposed to the commission, for which there was no justification. The whole trouble was in the mismanagement of the city transport, while the running expenses were needlessly high. The city was giving bad service, and no commission was needed to say that. The city was losing £I,OOO a week on the buses, and the time had come for them to get out and cut the loss. GOVERNMENT SPINELESS The Government attitude was that of a spineless jellyfish. The time had come for plain talking. The old private company drivers were being "fired.” and were being replaced by official-bound drivers who could not give even courtesy. The men being "sacked” w'ere all married and were now out of work. ANOTHER BUS WAR Mr. Titchener indicated that another bus war was likely to eventuate on the | North Road, led by the discharged j drivers, backed by the public. Nothing i would bring the position to a head more quickly. "We have felt all along that the ' commission will merely prove a means

of whitewashing the City Council,” said Newmarket’s Mayor, Mr. S. Donaldson. “We have lost our faith in commissions,” remarked Mr. A. M. Bryden (Mount Eden). “They don’t seem to satisfy anybody, and I feel that the Prime Minister has treated us unfairly. He merely turns a deaf ear to us.” Mr. J. M. Melville, Mount Eden, said these were merely arguments in favour of appearing before the commission and forcing the suggestion of a Metropolitan Board. UNDEMOCRATIC FORMATION The Prime Minister obviously does not understand the position, and he appealed to them to make a combined protest, said Mr. Lawrence Taylor. By ignoring the commission they would lose any chance of redress, and alienate public sympathy. They had little other chance. Making it a political issue was useless, as the Government could lose no seats here. That the constitution of the present transport authority was impossible was best shown by the fact that the Mayor had to remind members at last meeting that they were sitting as a transport authority, not as the City Council. “We know what we want here, much better than a man from, perhaps, Timaru,” remarked Mr. W. C. Coldicutt, Onehunga. “We should send a deputation to Wellington and endeavour to save the costs of the commission.” It was decided that a letter on the ! lines suggested be forwarded, and that j this be followed by a combined deputation to the Prime Minister. The meeting was unanimously of opinion that the commission was un- ! necessary, and expressed the opinion i that the only satisfactory solution was ! the formation of an elected Transport ; Board. This will be the position stressed before the Prime Minister, who will be informed taht the deputation repre* sents 105,000 people, against the city’s 95,000. The question of appearing before the commission, if it sits, will be considered after the deputation has met the 1 Prime Minister on March 12,