UNIFORMITY OF PRICES

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22347, 10 March 1938, Page 3

UNIFORMITY OF PRICES

CONTROL OF TRANSPORT

LICENSING AUTHORITIES' DECISION

A conference of licensing authorities held in Wellington on Monday decided to adopt throughout New Zealand the principle of price fixation by agreement between operators and transport consumers, which is considered to have proved successful during its operation for 12 months in the No. 3 Transport Licensing District, according to a statement made yesterday by Mr T. H. Langford, No. 3 Transport Licensing Authority. Mr Langford said that at present a number of associations were in existence. This was necessary in the preliminary stages, but to avoid variations in schedules, in districts with similar conditions, it had been decided to zone the four licensing areas as far as price schedules were concerned, in the No. 3 area it was expected that the No. 1 zone would extend from the Pareora river to the Rakaia river, and the No. 2 zone from the Rakaia to the Waipara. The schedules finally decided would be a condition of every licence. New methods to ensure the enforcement of the schedules would be in existence, and drastic action would be taken in the case of breaches. If carriers' associations and the consumers failed to reach agreement public sittings would be held with the licensing authority in control. Decision on the evidence submitted would rest with the licensing authority. So far such action had been entirely unnecessary in the No. 3 district, because the farmers, the business community, and the carriers had generally adopted a reasonable attitude.

Mr Langford added that the determination of bedrock prices would require an even greater degree of cooperation, particularly in servicing among the carriers. Adoption of such a policy should result in a considerable reduction in the duplication of services, and ultimately . bring reduced transport costs.