TRANSPORT CONTROL

Auckland Star, Issue 265, 8 November 1929, Page 9

TRANSPORT CONTROL

PARLIAMENT APPROVES VOTE

SALARY OF COMMISSIONER.

EXTREMELY VALUABLE OFFICER.

(By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, Thursday.

Estimates totalling £7042 for the new Transport Department were passed by the House of Representatives to-night. Explaining the item £1500 for expenses of the Transport Advisory Council, the Hon. W. A. Veitch, Minister of Transport, said no salary was to be paid to the chairman or members under the new conditions. The council would not ■be required, as the council would not exist. Mr. Fraser . (Wellington Central) described the Department as still nebulous, and asked why the transport commissioner was paid £1000, which was more than the Commissioner of Police and heads of other Departments which did real'tangible work. He admitted that this officer would be very-valuable if he could co-ordinate the transport of the Dominion.

Mr. Jones (Mid-Canterbury) asked if Parliament had sanctioned the appointment of the commissioner. He remembered that the Minister of Transport, when in Opposition, created a storm of criticism over the appointment of the Railways manager. _ The Hon. W. A. Veitch, Minister ot Transport, declared that the new Department would become one or toe most valuable of the State Mr. Nash (Palmerston North): You have not got it yet? The Minister: Yes, we will get it. A very larU section of people realise its rSue 'but, unfortunately, up till now I great many of them are outside ParliaSt'Department, added Mr. Veitch, was set up ;by Cabinet resolution, and he regarded the commissioner as an extreme!v valuable officer, who was not ! overpaid' during present work. The report of the English commission of transport, which had eat two years, had come to hand. Its recommendations were almost entirely similar to the principles of the Transport Bill he had introduced this session. He thought he was entitled to make this statement in support of his own position. The .vote was adopted.