TRANSPORT IN BRITAIN

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 71, 24 March 1919, Page 5

TRANSPORT IN BRITAIN

NEED FOR REGENERATION. STATE MUST CONTROL, BIG SAVING EFFECTED. LONDON, March 23. Sir Eric Geddes, moving the second reading in the House of Commons of the Wuys and Communications Bill, said a regenerated system of transport was essential for housing, health, agriculture, and a great variety of other problems on which the future of the country depended.. The present system \va3 wasteful and disorganised, and the halfparalysed private interests must yield to the State's interest, Private enterprise meant colossal waste. The House would not be committed to nationalisation of railways and other methods of transport, but'it might be necessary to adopt it some day as the only way of obtaining an economical and unified system. The new working costs due to higher wages and other high charges would rripple British industries unless some method were found of keeping freights and fares down. Experts estimated that the unity of control of the railways would result in a saving of £20,000,000 yearly, but something more drastic was necessary. The greatest saving could be effected by the introduction of electricity. The waste on empty haulage before the war was colossal, and would largely be eliminated by the Government acquiring 700,000 private wagons, which were often travelling empty. The railways' present working loss was £250,000 daily. The companies would receive the Government subsidy for a further two years, in accordance with the pledge given at the outbreak of the war. The development of motor traction, involving the keeping of the roads in good condition, was most important in agricultural areas.

Mr. T. P. O'Connor, in moving the refection of the bill, said that practically every dock and harbour authority in the United Kingdom was in arms against the bill.

Mr. J. H. Thomas, Labour member for Derby, announced Labour's general support of the principles of the bill.

Sir Donald Mac Lean, Liberal member for Peebles and Selkirk, approved the bill. It was desirable to check unnecessary competition, he said, but competition in the docks in i the past had fostered shipping.

Mr. Shortt, Secretary of State for Home Affairs, said the whole intention of the bill was to have a broad national outlook in developing traffic, instead of local competition. The question of nationalisation must be determined by the House of Commons. In any case it was impossible for the railways to return to the system of unfettered competition. — (A. and N.Z. Cable.)