Chambers Divided On Railways Role

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30103, 10 April 1963, Page 7

Chambers Divided On Railways Role

(New Zealand Press Association)

ROTORUA, April 8.

A Canterbury remit that the Government should appoint a minister of road transport, who was not also Minister of Railways, did not meet with the general approval of delegates to the Associated Chambers of Commerce conference in Rotorua today and an amendment to refer the subject to the executive for study was carried.

Figures were quoted by the mover, Mr E. Fraser, to show the extent of road commercial traffic in the Dominion. There were 7000 public operators with £22 million capital and they employed 20.000 persons using 16,000 trucks. They had an annual turnover of £35 million.

These operators paid £5 million in motor taxation, used 30 million gallons, of petrol and wore out 100,000 tyres annually, he said. The relative freight values of goods carried by heavy trucks, including public carriers, were £65 million against £3O million taken by rail.

Mr Fraser said the blame for the railways’ failure to pay was always placed on road competition. Therefore, the Minister was told that anything he did for road

transport would result in further rail losses. The Minister was also influenced by his responsibility for 26,000 railways employees. The remit was seconded by Mr R. B. McNisih. Mr B. N. Vickerman (Wellington) said he would follow the suggested remedy but he thought, comparing the capital involved, a minister of road transport would be “playing second fiddle.” He suggested fewer road restrictions under the Transport Act. Mr J. M. Hardcastle (Auckland) pointed out that while private operators paid £5 million in petrol tax and other licence fees, for the capital outlay of £22 million they had the use of the roads, compared with the very large amount of £l4O million representing permanent way. Sir John Allum (Auckland), defending the railways, said they were were trying to settle in a few minutes what was disturbing many eminent people all over the world. The railways were far from being out-dated, as was exemplified in Britain and Europe. The railways had opened up this country and if they had taken land on either side of the .tracks, they would have been wealthy today.

Support for the subject being referred to the executive came from a former president. Mr P. J. Harris (Whangarei), Messrs G. E. Stock (Wellington) and I. R. McCallum (Dunedin).