Civilian Deliveries At N.P. Must Be Cut to Minimum

Taranaki Daily News, 1 September 1942, Page 2

Civilian Deliveries At N.P. Must Be Cut to Minimum

Zoning officer suggests basis for grocery trade. A breakdown of civilian services would be almost as serious as a military breakdown, declared the North Island zoning officer, Mr. H. M. Christie, at New Plymouth last night, when he addressed a meeting of those interested in the zoning of ; „ deliveries of household commodities at New Plymouth. To avoid this, he added, transport had to be cut to the minimum. "We have come up against too much apathy," continued Mr. Christie. "People must realise that there can be no equity in wartime and must be prepared to 6acrifice anything that will assist the wsr effort."

Regarding the zoning or regulation of deliveries of household commodities, said Mr. Christie, it was proposed to spread the control as far as possible and to impose upon everyone the same degree of sacrifice, He asked that businessmen and associations should meet to consider carefully their position and should then put forward plans designed to reduce transport to the utmost limit. The proposal was to leave business people to run the scheme themselves when the plan had been gazetted. He had no doubt that difficulties would be encountered, and any suggestions for improvement in the plans would be welcomed, said the speaker.

The delivery of all light goods must be eliminated, continued Mr. Christie. He knew that deliveries of milk and bread had already heen zoned at New Plymouth, and said there were a number of other trades which could be regulated, if not zoned. In New Zealand it would be difficult to eliminate retail delivery altogether, and where it was imperative for deliveries to be carried on, the number of services must be reduced to a minimum. Even the services which were classed as essential had to make drastic reductions, added Mr. Christie. Rural deliveries must be rationalised and there must be no overlapping by firms operating in country districts. In many districts, continued Mr.: Christie, a pooling system was in operation. He suggested that the best method for the grocery trade to ajopt was to map out the whole area where its services operated and then to find out what other services were available in the same district "It is unfortunately true that to-

day there is still considerable wastage," added Mr. Christie, "but it is being eliminated very rapidly indeed." "The ramifications of trade are such that the disruption of one affects others," copcluded the speaker. He therefore asked business men not to expect rapid results in the smooth working of a plan, because there were bound to be difficulties which would require considerable attention before they were solved. The Mayor of New Plymouth, Mr. E-Jfa C. Gilmour, presided at last ^nijjnt's meeting, at the conclusion of which Mr. Christie answered questions cqncerning the proposed zoning of deliveries. This morning Mr. Christie will meet representatives of New Plymouth business associations to discuss proposals.