AUCKLAND’S TRANSPORT

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 743, 16 August 1929, Page 11

AUCKLAND’S TRANSPORT

MEMBER’S STRONG COMMENT “A LACK OF VISION” (The SUN’S Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, Thursday. The claim that his district had been retarded by eight or 10 years in its progress by the operation of the Motor-Omnibus Act, was put forward in the House of Representatives today by Mr. G. C. Munns (Roskill) in the course of his speech in the Budget Debate. He said that the Act had been passed at the direct instigation of the Auckland City Council. Mr. P. Fraser (Wellington Central) : A good Act, too. Mr. Munns': For the Auckland City Council. Mr. Fraser: For cities generally. Mr. Munns claimed that the Act had retarded greatly the development of the suburbs, Mr. W. J. Jordan (Manukau) saying that the administration of the Act had done so. Mr. Munns: If the administration is wrong, that is the fault of the Act. The chairman of the Auckland Transport Board, Mr. J. A. C. Allum, said Mr. Munns, had been defeated at the Auckland City Council elections, and the cause of his defeat had been lack of vision, ability and understanding in running services to the satisfaction of the people concerned. Yet the Council had reappointed him to the Transport Board. Mr. Jordan: By a minority of members. Mr. Munns continued that the Transport Board in preventing the development of the suburbs was driving the people into the city, where they were getting their pleasure in jazz and picture-halls instead of living a healthy life in the country. With other members of the House, the speaker was seeing what could be done to alter that state of affairs. It might be asked why a large transport loan had been carried, but he thought that almost any loan to assist in relieving unemployment would be carried. The suburbs would be satisfied if the board gave it a fleet of mobile buses. Steps were actually being taken by some City ratepayers to remove some members of the Transport Board, so even City ratepayers were not satisfied. A Labour Member: What are their names ? Mr. Munns: Someone named Jeffers and others. I do not really know the names. MR. ALLUM’S REPLY DEFENCE OF TRANSPORT BOARD The attack made in the House of Representatives yesterday by IVIr. G. C. Munns (Government, Roskill) on the Transport Board and its chairman, Mr. J. A. C. Allum, has provoked a direct challenge by Mr. Allum, who asks Mr. Munns to state something specific and to make suggestions for the improvement of services. Mr. Munns is reported to have said the Roskill district had been put back eight or ten years as a result of the Motor Omnibus Act; and that the Transport Board was preventing the development of the suburbs by inadequate services. As a counterblast Mr. Allum sent the following telegram this morning to the member:

“You are reported as having stated in the House yesterday that there is dissatisfaction with transport services in your district, and act of Transport Board in preventing the development of suburbs is driving people into the City. Please inform me to what you refer and also submit for our immediate consideration any suggestions you desire to make with the object of improving conditions.” In a letter to Mr. Munns following the telegram Mr. Allum says: I am entirely at a loss to understand your references, as I know of no action of the board which is preventing the proper development of your district. May I remind you that a number of representations have from time to time been made by various AMENDING THE ACT MR. MUNNS’S INTENTION (The SUN’S Parliamentary Reporter.) PARLIAMENT BLDGS., Today. Mr. Munns, who has received the telegram from Mr. Allum, will reply next week. When interviewed he said he believed the Transport Board should be elective. If that were not possible the six to four City Council majority should be abolished, and 50-50 repre sentation, with an independent chairman, substituted. The time for the introduction of local Bills has expired, but on the introduction of the Transport Bill Mr. Munns hopes to move to have the Auckland Transport Act altered Mr. Munns said that he believed he would have the majority of Auckland members with him. Mr. W. J. Jordan, Mr. J. S. Fletcher, Mr. H. R. Jenkins and possibly the Hon. A. .T. Stallworthy and Mr. A. Harris are inclined to his views.