TRANSPORT BILL.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19735, 27 September 1929, Page 10

TRANSPORT BILL.

HIGHWAYS FUND ALLOCATIONS. [THE PRESS Special B«rvic«.] WELLINGTON, September 26. "I am sure the Party aspect will not enter into tli© question at all." said the Minister for Transport (Hon. Mr Veitch) in an interview to-day, when declaring that some misconception seemed to exist as to the effect of the provisions of the Transport Law Amendment Bill, which gave the Minister authority to fix the Highways Find allocations as bet wee a the North and South Islands. Mr Veitch said it should be clearly understood that the money made available for highways purposes would be on the same basis as at present, but with what were in effect two separate Highways Boards it was essential that there should be an independent arbitrator to fix the proportions as between the North and South Islands The fact that it was the Minister for Transport who had to determine the allocation as between the North and South Islands not »t all mean that political control would apply. Mr Veitch added that he had laid it down as a principle that the Transport .Department was to function in the interests of and for the protection of the motor traffic of New Zealand in the direction of enabling it to become more And more serviceable to the people. According to notice given by the Minister jn the House of Representatives, the Transport Bill is to be re--1 erred to a special Select Committee, which tvill hear evidence on the pro* posafe from interested parties. The personnel of th<* Committee is to be the Hon. Mr Veitch and Messrs W, J. Brondfoot, C. H. C'linkrrd, R. F. tieoly, A. J. Murdoch. A. E. AnseU A. Harris, K. S. W'ilHnms "\V V Parry, and D. G. Sullivan