CONTROL OF ROAD TRANSPORT

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23753, 26 September 1942, Page 4

CONTROL OF ROAD TRANSPORT

POLICY COMMITTEES TO BE SET UP MINISTER’S DECISION A decision to set up policy committees under the Transport Control-Em-ergency Regulations has been made by the Minister of Transport (the Hon. R. Sempte), according to a report received from the New Zealand Manufacturers’ Federation yesterday by the Canterbury Manufacturers’ Association. Where the functions of goods transport control committees (already set up) are to receive orders for carriage of goods and to allocate orders in accordance with the interests of conserv - ing tyres, petrol, and vehicles, the functions of the policy committees will be to advise the Minister on various matters of policy. The Minister has requested the federation, with the New Zealand Employers’ Federation, to nominate a representative acceptable to both federations in each of the following towns: —Auckland, Christchurch. Dunedin, Wellington, Gisborne. Timaru. Hamilton, Invercargill, Napier, Palmerston North, and Wanganui. The policy committees will comprise three members, one representing the local authorities in the area, one industry and trade, and the other reprepresenting the Federation of Labour. According to the statement from the federation, the Minister said that when the policy committees were set up he would seek their advice in each district in connexion with the establishment of priorities in goods to be carried by road transport, and perhaps the prohibition of certain classes of nonessential freights. The policy decided on by the Minister after consultation with the policy committees will form the basis of the operation of the goods transport control committees. The Minister had emphasised, the statement adds, that as time went on the shortage of commercial tyres would become more acute, and it might be necessary in the public interest to restrict goods traffic to what the available trucks could handle. Ho had added that as much of the country's production had been built up on road transport the occupation of Malaya by the Japanese had raised one of the most serious problems the country had ever been called on to face. He hoped that the policy committees would be ready to function at the earliest possible moment.