Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo. SATURDAY, JULY 28, 1928. THE TRANSPORT REPORT.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 177, 28 July 1928, Page 8

Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo.

SATURDAY, JULY 28, 1928. THE TRANSPORT REPORT.

For the cause that lacks assistance, For the tcrong that needs resistance, For the future in the distance, A.nd the good that tee can do-

lt Wits anticipated that the Transport Commission would recommend the establishment of a Transport Board, and it was understood? that the outside local bodies had agreed to accept an arrangement by which the assets and liabilities oi' the city would be taken over as they stood. These recommendations have now been made by the Commission, and they should be the beginning of a new era for Auckland transport. True statesmanship would have created such a Board, representing* the Greater Auckland area, long ago, and thereby Auckland would have been spared much ill-feeling between the City Council and the outlying districts. The greatest cause of lesentment against the city was probably the city s use of its legislative powers against its compel'tors, including its authority as the licensing body under the Act of 19 - JO, and, as was expected, the Transport - Commission sustains the objection taken to the Council acting as licenser of motor buses, though it acquits the Council of making improper use of this power. The proposed basis of transfer is the only just one.

It is only with regret, however, that the Commission, recommends the creation of a Transport Board. The ideal solution, it thinks, would be amalgamation ot the outside areas and the city—that is. the Greater Auckland plan—and the Commission rejects this only because it considers that it would be i'oliv to try to force such a plan on a. hostile public. The opinion ot this Commission, following on that of the \\ ater Commission, in favour of Greater Auckland policy is hound to encourage the advocates ot this line of development, but it seems to us that, paradoxically though it may seem, in taking what it thinks is the larger view the Commission has at least expres.-ed itself narrowly, its implication that opposition to the spread of city government rests solely on parochial motives cannot be accepted. Such motives, of course, exist, but the Commission had before it impressive evidence from disinterested witnesses of long experience in local affairs, to the effect that already the government of the city was sagging under a weight of unmanageable detail. As an alternative it was proposed that a .Metropolitan Board be established, and that existing local bodies bo retained to manage purely local affairs. This policy is surelv just as statesmanlike as the establishment of an indefinitely large Greater Auckland, with the control ot most branches of local government concentrated in one body. This paper, which is entirely disinterested in the matter, has not offered a rigid opposition to the extension of the city—it is not prepared to say that the boundaries could not he extended now with advantage—but it has, irom conviction and on principle, stated the case lor reasonable decentralisation of local government. We are apprehensive about the Greater Auckland scheme for reasons similar to those for which we oppose centralisation in national administration. "\\ e wish to prevent the erection of an unwieldy machine, and to see healthv local interest in municipal politics maintained.

This, however, is at present in a sense a side issue, for the Commission rejects both the Greater Auckland and the Metropolitan Board plans. A metropolitan Transport Board is the solution now before the public. Before we pass on to this, however, it should be noted, first, that the Commission justifies the tram as the better vehicle for use between the tram termini, and that as regards the management of the city's transport system, and especially the trams, the report is a strong vindication of the Council. The Commission praises the Council highly for. the improvement in the system since the company's days, and regards almost the whole of recent and current criticism as unjustified. (We are writing, we should explain, without having had time to study the report as fully as we would like.) The Commission thinks that critics of the Council have been too easily disposed to regard as special local evils conditions that are to be found everywhere. On the other hand it finds proven charges of breach of faith made by Mount Eden against the city. The dead past, however, # should he encouraged to bury its dead. It is essential that the city and the suburban bodies should forget their differences and work together in a common policy.

The spirit of co-operation will be needed at once, for there is a difference of opinion about the size of the Board district. The Commission favours a district smaller than has been advocated by this paper and by the suburban representatives. The Commission gave careful consideration to the claims of Henderson, Glen Eden, New Lynn, and Ptahuhu, but decided to exclude them, and, of course, its decision is entitled to respect. But even if the area as delimited by the Commission is accepted, we are sure it will not stand permanently. Every year the places mentioned are more elosely joined to the city. The Commission recommends that the city should have a preponderance of strength on the Board, and here, again, there will be difference of opinion. Very properly the Commission emphasises" the importance of the new body and the consequent need for electing to it able men. The new Board will be the largest trading concern in the Auckland area—unless the Power Board" has to be excepted—and it will be handling a public utility which bristles with difficulties. It must not be supposed that the creation of such a Board will banish all our transport worries. Competition between bus and tram and train the world over will go on, and do what we will we cannot prevent the march of invention from affecting our lives. There will be special local difficulties. For these reasons the new Board will shoulder a great responsibility, and its personnel will be important to every citizen. Differences of opinion as to the details of the new system ' mns t not be allowed ta wreck its introduction.