ECONOMIES IN TRANSPORT

Press, Volume LXXV, Issue 22851, 26 October 1939, Page 8

ECONOMIES IN TRANSPORT

No Relaxation Of

Measures

CO-ORDINATION TO

GO ON

Government Policy

Explained

“No. The co-ordination of transport will go on,” replied the Minister for Transport (the Hon. R. Semple) when he was asked yesterday by “The Press!’ whether or not the removal of the petrol restrictions will mean a relaxation of the economy measures recently introduced for road transport operators. The measures, said Mr Semple; were not entirely due to the war, but were necessary in peace time. There would be no undue restrictions; but the whole of the transport system would be investigated by the committees set up and now at work. “The idea is to get complete coordination to prevent waste, unnecessary running, unfair competition, etc.,” the Minister said. “That will go on to the maximum. It is a question of a coromonsense policy of the rationalisation of transport.

"Shine irresponsible persons have been broadcasting, in a s secret kind of way, that Jthis step towards coordination means State ownership ultimately. It means nothing of the kind. We are quite content to > allow private enterprise to do the job; but we do want to assist the industry to bring about that measure of co-ordination which is necessary in the interests of the transport people themselves and the interests of the nation in that it will create an efficient transport system. “The objective is co-ordination, which ultimately means real efficiency, and I want to squash the infamous falsehood that this is a step towards nationalisation. It is nothing of the kindi”

Competition with Railways

The Government, the Minister said, had interfered with those services in direct competition with the railways. A dozen times he had said—and the Prime Minister had also said—that, apart from that competition with the railways, the Government was quite satisfied and happy to leave the whole business in the hands of private enterprise. “The duty of the Government, Mr Semple said, "is to bring about that measure of co-ordination which will be not only beneficial to the owners of transport themselves but to the nation, too. What we aim at is an efficient transport system.