"Another motive’ in Rangatira plans

Press, 28 July 1976, Page 1

"Another motive’ in Rangatira plans

The Government is scrapping the Rangati'ra service so that, it will be spared from dealing with militant maritime unions, according to the president of the (Canterbury Progress League (Mr D. S. McKenzie). Mr McKenzie will fly to Wellington this morning io give evidence to the Parliament’s Petitions Committee, which is considering (wo petition.-- calling tor the retention of the Rangatira on the LytteltonWelliiigton run. “I think it is fair io say the Government is fed dp with the repeated times the country has been held to ransom by the maritime unions,” said Mr McKenzie in Christchurch last evening. "Getting rid of the Rangatira service would remove this festering sore and leave one less area of contention on the Government’s plate. “I'm sure 1 speak for all South Islanders when I say I sympathise with the

Government’s position, but we cannot accept, this form of surgery,” said Mr McKenzie. “Why should the South Island’s communications be placed in jeopardy to give the Government a readymade solution?’ The Government had justified its proposal to scrap the service hy claim ing that there was a working loss of S2.BM for the last financial year, and that, this was expected to rise to $3.5M in the present year. Mt McKenzie said ’hat the solution was not. to scrap the service. Ihe deficit could be reduced in three ways: by reducing possibly extravagant manning scales, by two freight-charge increases. already implemented, and by the increased volume of freight expected. “The Minister of Transport (Mr McLachlan), at a meeting convened by the Ashburton Chamber of Commerce in June, spoke of the increasing volume of inter-island freight,” said Mr McKenzie. The combined effects of

the measures to improve the service instead of cancelling it would reduce the working Io: for the present year to $l.l M. Complementing the Rangatira service with a vessel such a* the ('oastal Trader to provide nightly sailings, and promoting this service as a par’ of a modernised railway system could restore to the service the patronage enic. rd bv the Maori-Wahine com bination, said Mr McKenzie. He also expressed concern that there was only one South island representative on the seven-member Petitions Committee The Petitions Committee will meet behind closed doors and hear submissions from 19 organisations. ihe Rangatira js scheduled to make it..- last, crossing of the Cook Strait on September 14. The Gov eminent plans to replace it with the cargo-only Hawea The only South Island member of Parliament on the committee is Mr N. .1. Kirk (Sydenham). There are two other Labour members and four Government members