PREVENTING ACCIDENTS

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1001, 18 June 1930, Page 9

PREVENTING ACCIDENTS

CONFERENCE OPENS IN WELLINGTON MINISTER’S ADDRESS Press Association WELLINGTON. Today. Addressing tho conference on traffic accidents yesterday, the Minister of Railways, the Hon. AV. A. Veitch, said: “Accidents, I sincerely believe, can bo considerably reduced in number, and I believe will bo reduced, as a result of this conference. “I am sure you will agree with me that my successor as Minister of Transport, the Hon. W. B. Taverner, has acted wisely in confirming my earlier decision to call this conference with, a view to considering how to meet the difficulties which involve a great deal of technical knowledge, which, can only bo acquired by experience. This conference has been called in order that the experience of all sections of those who are interested in transport may be made available to the Government before it finally decides how the situation is to be met by legislation, or by regulation, or by both.” The Minister said the decidedly comprehensive order paper covered all features of the problem. First of all there was the administration of the law. Then there was the enforcement of law ,and thirdly, there were penalties for offences. They had laid it down as a principle, and he would like the conference to keep that principle in mind, that, while considering the problem from its present viewpoint, first of all it was necessary to enforce such limitations and restrictions as would reduce the danger to human life that undoubtedly existed on the public roads at present. On the other hand they must be careful not to exercise such interference and impose such restrictions as would interfere with the actual value of these transport services to the people. The question of railway versus road I transport was always raised and con- ; sidered. He did not like looking at it from the point of view of the railway versus tho road. He believed the proper viewpoint was railway and road transport. Commonsense, as a result of experience, could co-ordinate the two for the benefit of both, and ultimately for the benefit of the people which both served. Finally, they must bear in mind that the transport service, like all public services, existed for the purpose of giving the people facilities,, and anything that tended to the curtailment of those services would increase the cost of production and the cost of living. There were great possibilii ties in the conference.