PASSENGER SERVICES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 22 April 1938, Page 7

PASSENGER SERVICES

PURCHASES BV THE STATE

THREE BIG UNDERTAKINGS IN CANTERBURY. REPORTED COMPLETION OF NEGOTIATIONS. By Telegraph—Press Association. ■ CHRISTCHURCH, April 21. The Government has completed negotiations for the purchase of three of the biggest road passenger transport organisations in Canterbury, Lister’s Motors, Ltd., Mockett's Motors, Ltd., and Dalzell’s Motors Ltd. These three firms cover the major portion of South Canterbury and North Canterbury, and their purchase by the Government will bring under Government control the major transport services operating in the-, province. It is not yet possible to secure an official announcement about the transactions, but the principals of the three firms involved stated to the “Press” this evening that complete finality had been reached in the negotiations. Although the services run by Lister’s Ltd., Timaru-Christchurch, Tim-aru-Fairlie, and Timaru-Waimate, run to some extent in competition with the railways, in the case of the other two firms this does not apply fully, and the principals involved believe that the only reason for the purchase is that the Government has decided to extend its policy of purchase of all national transport services. It was emphasised by those affected in these transactions that the Government had not made the purchases compulsory, and that no pressure had been brought to bear on the firms selling out. Officials said that the prices agreed on between the three firms and the Government had been reached after arbitration and were satisfactory to everyone concerned. However, officials of all three companies were unable to advance any reason for the decision of the Government to make the purchases, other than that there had been a Cabinet decision to absorb all road services operating. ,