H.—4o

The one runs on well-defined routes carrying principally only passengers at fixed and advertised charges, and maintaining regular time-tables. Goods-services have none of these easily controlled features, their cargoes being as varied as their freight rates and their time-tables. The majority of them operate anywhere within their respective boundaries at demand, but only when freight is available. In the circumstances, it is to be expected that more than one year will elapse before proper control can be fully applied and the resultant benefits become apparent. (4) Fixation or Charges. The question of fixing charges for the carriage of goods has engaged the attention of the Department during the past year. Generally speaking, it may be said that the discretionary power of Licensing Authorities to fix charges has been availed of to only a very limited extent, it being considered that at present it is desirable as a general principle to maintain a fair scale by means of competition rather than by price-fixation. In cases where competition has ceased to be effective, or where it is too severe, resulting in too high or uneconomic rates, it is considered that the power vested in Licensing Authorities to fix charges should.be exercised. C. APPEALS. By the Transport Law Amendment Act, 1933, the Transport Appeal Board was abolished, and the functions of that Board were vested in the Transport Co-ordination Board. All appeals which were duly lodged but not determined before the passing of the Transport Law Amendment Act, 1933, will therefore now be considered by the Transport Co-ordination Board. Owing to the transfer of the activities of the Transport Appeal Board to the Transport Co-ordination Board, it was not possible to deal with the appeals on hand immediately. The determination of the appeals is, however, now proceeding apace, and it is anticipated that they will all be finalized at an early date. Up to the 31st March, 1934, 310 appeals (both goods and passengers) were lodged against the decisions of the Transport Licensing Authorities. The following table shows the position in respect of these appeals : —

By July the outstanding appeals had practically all been disposed of. D. CONFERENCE OF CHAIRMEN OF LICENSING AUTHORITIES. On the 24th and 25th May, 1934, a conference of Chairmen of Licensing Authorities was held at Wellington for the purpose of considering the many problems which had arisen in the administration of the Transport Licensing Act, and also for the purpose of ensuring uniformity of policy in dealing with the major subjects which require the consideration of Licensing Authorities from time to time. This conference was attended by each of the nine chairmen, and by two officers of the Transport Department. A wide range of subjects relative to transport matters was dealt with. 9. MOTOR ACCIDENTS AND THEIR PREVENTION. (a) Accident Statistics (Table No. 32). During the year covered by this report there was again a decrease in the number of motor fatalities, the totals being 125 accidents and 135 deaths, as against 140 accidents and 143 deaths during the previous year. This is particularly gratifying, as it is estimated that during last summer there was more traffic on the roads than during the previous summer. The following remarks on the comparative detailed figures for the two years may be of interest: — (1) A reduction of 19 in the number of pedestrian fatalities. (2) A reduction of 18 in the number of collisions motor with motor. (3) An increase of 6 in the number of railway level-crossing accidents. (4) An increase of 9 in the number of accidents due to motor-vehicles going over banks. (5) A 50 per cent, drop in the number of fatal accidents occurring between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. (6) A reduction of fatal accidents in and near Auckland and Christchurch from 33 to 19 and 16 to 10 respectively, and an increase for Wellington and Dunedin environs from 8 to 13 and 2 to 6 respectively.

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Number of Appeals. Goods- Passenger- Total service. service. Appeals allowed . . . . . . .. .. 69 69 Appeals disallowed. . . . . . .. • • 51 51 Appeals withdrawn . . . . . 17 44 61 Appeals struck out .. .. .. 12 3 15 Appeals referred back to Licensing Authority .. . . 3 3 Appeals awaiting hearing .. .. .. 78 33 111 107 203 310