A ROAD WAR.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19719, 9 September 1929, Page 14

A ROAD WAR.

PROSPECT IN VICTORIA. railways to bun motortrucks. iucur own o*l cosREsiPOKBexT.) StDNEY. August 29. With the approval of the Minister for Railways. the Railway Commissioners in Victoria hare declared war against the motor transport that is competing to Eeriously against them. Hariris waitad tin til private enterprise had demonstrated the mobility and convenience of transport per the motor truck, th« Commissioners are now going on to the roads with twelve trucks, and it has been asserted against them that they are seeking to what they have not sown. A road war, sucn as Victoria seems faced with, can onl 7 mean economic loss, xo the people a * * whole, and it is not * ur * ha * latest move is regarded with some been urged, therefore, that Parliament should waste no tee m bringing about legislation that would co-ordinate the transport services of the State. However, "co-ordination in a word with as little meaning _m Australia as "co-operation. ,*?" operation" is used more freely by politician? than, perhaps, any other word, and the people have come to regard it with suspicion, and they can certainlv be excused for imagining that i it has no meaning. Sufficient expen- | ence should have been gained by the j railways, it is held,, to enable justice to be "done to them without hindering j flexible motor transport, which has i certainly come to stay. The fact that railway companies in the United States are dismantling short lines, and catering for the business by motor-trucks. is regarded as indicating the inevitable trend of events in Australia. New 1 South Wales will make an endeavour ; at an early, date to control in a more j scientific manner traffic within the metropolitan area, and the "experiment will be watched with great interest. It soenis as though the bus services in the city are bound to suffer, in an ef- I fort to make the trams pay better than i they are to-day. Owing to the un- ! certainty of the policy of the Government, transport facilities are not being developed in Sydney as they should, p-nd the outer districts are suffering j in consequence. -It is pointed out by experts who have made a careful study of the position, that roads should be allies to the railways, and "that the. Victorian Government, by restricting the motortruck users, 13 turning the ally into an enemy.: 'Whereas the roads have in many cases acted as feeders, the motor firms are no longer inclined to assist the railwavs. but arc prepared to accept the challenge. Already the motortrucks have been forced into side tracks, for it is illegal to carry a load of more than fire tons along a main road running in the. s»ame direction as a railway, -However, it seems doubtful whether thp Government can prevent progress by these methods for the difficulties in the wav of enforcing the law are enormous, a* the Government has already discovered. j It has been pointed out on behalf of the Government that there is no intention to stop motor traffic in Victoria, hut the Government is prepared to Meet ;t on a competitive basis. The carriers say that the Government mast always hold the upper hand, and there is no' alteraative hut for them to meet the new menace in a way that it deserves. Tliis seems to be a vague threat' of battle. And in such a battle there are hound to be serious losses.