ROYAL COMMISSION.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 75, 29 March 1928, Page 9

ROYAL COMMISSION.

VERY WIDE POWERS.

SEARCHING INVESTIGATION.

AUCKLAND TRANSPORT

PROBLEM.

EXPERTS FROM AUSTRALIA

Very wide powers are to be given to the Royal Commission to be set up by the Government to inquire into Auckland transport matters. The large deputation which waited upon the Prime Minister a few days ago convinced Mr. Coates of the urgent need to set up a transport board. Prime Miniater Perturbed. The Prime Minister appeared to be very perturbed in regard to complaints he indicated he had received regarding the Auckland City Council. He had a large file of correspondence on the question, and passed the remark that the honour of all the local bodies was at stake. He went so far as to broadly hint that if, on investigation, it was proved that the complaints were warranted it might be found necessary to go as far as in Sydney and set up civic commissioner control in Auckland.

The Royal Commission's powers are to be very wide, and will allow of evidence to be taken in regard to the whole of the running of the City Council's transport, both bus and tram, with a yiew to ascertaining whether there has been incompetent management or waste in any department. It will also have power to say whether or not the City Council should hand over the whole of its transport assets to the proposed board.

In reply to delegates who informed the Prime Minister that they would not appear before the Commission, Mr. Coates pointed out that as the Commission was under the King's Warrant, they would be bound to give evidence if called upon. Write off £1,000,000.

It is in regard to the latter proposal that a fight is anticipated. There are local body representatives who are anxious to become members of a board having full powers to inaugurate and run passenger services, but they point out that if it comes to taking over the City Council's trams and buses they will only do so on their present valuation, and not at cost. One representative considers that at least £1,000,000 would have to be written off by the City Council. "They would love to shove the whole of their junk into the proposed board at cost," he said, "but we certainly will have to fight against such a proposal."

There are other representatives who are strenuously • opposed to extended powers, and who maintain that the board should only control licenses, with power to regulate services and fares.

The whole question will be considered at a suburban local body conference this evening at the Mount Eden Borough Council Chambers. Delegates who formed the deputation to the Prime Minister will report, and the conference will endeavour to come to s policy as to what information should be placed before the committee, and what line of action they should take generally.

Members who attended the recent conference at Wellington confirmed the report this morning that Mr. J. S. Barton, of Wanganui, would preside, and that Mr. Coates had indicated that the other two members would be selected in Australia. One of them is a tramway expert of Adelaide, and the other a bus transport expert of Sydney.