IMPORTANT WORK

Waikato Times, Volume 119, Issue 19891, 21 May 1936, Page 8

IMPORTANT WORK

The. efforts of the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce to secure a revision of the railway freight schedules from this centre of King Country stations have resulted in the matter being brought under the notice of the Minister of Railways, and it is hoped that something will be done to remove what amounts to a penalty imposed on local business houses. This is the work which the Chamber of Commerce can do efficiently, as it represents the commercial and industrial sections of the community and has no political objectives of any sort. By adding its quota to the protests entered, and work—ing along the same lines as the Chamber at New Plymouth, 51 strong case for revision has been advanced. \\'ith questions of transport under discussion the time seems opportune for action on the part at the departmental authorities, and the knowledge that an alert Chamber of Commerce is watching the. interests of business firms in this part of the Dominion should Serve a useful purpose. The projected changcs in the control of other forms of transport must have the careful consideration of the Chamber. Under the old system limitations were. enforced that actually handicapped local firms, and with the centralisation of control foreshadowed in the Bill it will be all the more necessary for provincial centres to protect their interests. It is difficult to see how the proposed authorities will acquire the local knowledge that does so much to enable a system to operate smoothly, and the Chamber should be able to render the business community practical assistance by preparing data of conditions and services obtaining hero, and by supporting those who are interested in what may he termed the district transport systcm. lt‘ experience affords any reliable guide then the larger centres will seek to hold any special advantages they have enjoyed under the old order and to obtain further concessions under the new, and the duty of keeping in touch with these developments and of pi‘otct‘ting the interests of local enterprise will fall largely on the Chamber of Commerce.

It is in the initial stages that decisions are often made that later prove exceptionally (lllll('llll to get changed, simply because reversal might appear (’1! he an admission of an error, and that is one good ronson why, as the Minister of Transport proceeds to apply the far-roavhiug powers that the Amendment Bill will give him, the development ol" any new method of ('Onll'Ol, any limitation of services. should be closely watched and the effect of general as well as of particular decisions on transport should be carefully estimated.

Few provincial centres: are more actively concerned with marl transport than Hamilton, the collection of mill: and cream alone being a vast network over a wry \\'ide district. The Minister has stated that there is to he a system of inspection for vehicles carrying froig'ht on tho roads and Hamilton should, in the nature of things, he one of the most important inspection posts. In other ways i-lumgos \\'ill dircwtly nl'fcnt this modern form of transport and the Chamber of‘ (‘mnnwron must, in this respect, he the watch-dog of tlw vommnnit)‘.