AS BAD AS WAR AND EARTHQUAKES

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 207, 29 May 1936, Page 12

AS BAD AS WAR AND EARTHQUAKES

Highway Fatalities

MENACE OF SPEEDY TRANSPORT Comparisons in Council Some vivid comparisons between the havoc to life caused by war and earthquakes, and deaths due to motor transport accidents on the road, were made in the Legislative Council yesterday afternoon by the Hon. M. Fagan, in moving the second reading of the Transport Licensing Amendment Bill. "This Dominion is regarded as an earthquake country and alarm is distributed throughout the world as to the danger of living in New Zealand, said Mr. Fagan. “Yet if the present rate of road accidents keeps up the number of deaths in this country will he 360 this year, or more than the fatalities caused by all the earthquakes since New Zealand was founded 94 years ago. In Great Britain the death-rate on the roads due to motor accidents is 155 each week, while eveiy week 5000 persons are maimed and injured. Think of it: 7300 deaths and 260.000 persons injured every year iu Great Britain through road accidents. I have seen it stated that if the same average deatii rate bn British roads should be maintained for the next two years, the total loss of life in Great Britain from 1919 to 193 S will be greater than the nation’s loss of lives in tlie Great War. It has been said that the population of London .consists of two classes —the quick and the dead, and the quick only survive.’ Profit-making Transport. Discussing the purposes of the Bill, Mr. Fagan said that for many years motor transport services, particularly as regards passengers, had been carried on under competition aud solely for proflLmaking. Transport had become so essential and so important in all civilised countries that the trend of opinion everywhere was that it should no longer be carried on for profit-making purposes and purely on competitive lines, but should be regarded from the point of view of service. Di short, the time was coining within a very few years when transport would be looked upon as being as essential as pure water, elementary education and light. The necessity for a firmer control or transport was' emphasised by Mr. Fagan, who expressed his belief that when the Bill became active law, the death rate on the roads in New Zealand would be reduced by 50_ per cent. Commenting on Ihe elimination of the Transport Co-ordination Board, the Minister said there would be no tears shed over its disappearance. Even the Minister of Transport in the previous Government (Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates) liad lost confidence in the board, for the onl.v two recommendations it made he refused to put into operation. The board, which had cost £6OOO, had also lost the confidence of the people. Nobody wanted it. Three Amendments. After quoting numerous official reports from all over New Zealand as to accidents caused by or contributed to by the overworking of motor transport employees, Mr. Fagan intimated that when the Bill reached the committee stage he would move three amendments. Briefly these would make it clear that, the licensing authority must record the reasons for its decisions, that, a certified copy of decisions and reasons was to be available, on request, to any member of the public that all verbal evidence must be taken on oath, and that the licensing authorities must send to the Minister of Transport a copy of the notes of evidence taken before the authority in respect of any appeal. The Hon. R. Masters (Taranaki) said that some of the matters in the Bill could have been more appropriately dealt with in a Motor Vehicles Bill. They were all agreed that the present position in respect of danger to life on the roads could not be allowed to continue without some firm effort being made to check it. As a departmental report had pointed out. the major proportion of drivers were owners who drove their own rar or truck. Tlie proportion of licensed transport drivers who were owners was 67 per cent. As far as passenger services were concerned the transport drivers had a record of which they had every reason to be proud. He did not believe that the provisions in the Bill were going to overcome all the difficulties. z Socialisation of Transport. ‘‘My real objection to the Bill.” continued Mr. Masters, "is that its real intention is to bring about the socialisation of tlie means of transport. I am of the opinion that the Government’s objective is to stifle every form of private enterprise as far ns transport is concerned. Experience has shown that whenever the State has dabbled in motor services in this country there Ims been a loss of money. What lias happened in the past may happen in the future. I believe that tlie Stale I,,'is never been able to give as efficient and economic a service as private enterprise can provide, and 1 believe also that the State never will.” Mr. Masters also objected to the provision in the Bill which gives the Minister of Transport full and absolute authority to decide appeals.

During the subsequent debate the Pill was supported in turn by the Hon. T. F. Doyle (.Southland), tlie Hon. ItMcCallum (Marlborough), who added that it did not go far enough, ami the [lon. M. Connelly (Otago I. who denied that (lie Bill meant the socialisation of transport. The railways, be added, were entitled Io some protection against motor competition.

A vigorous poli<w Io make the highways safe for pedestrians and reasonable types of motorists was advocated I, die Hou. L. M. Isitt (Christchurch). The Hon. -1. McLeod (Taranaki) said 11, c evidence showed lhat the majority of motor accidents happened to private Olivers on Sundays. Transport. and service drivers were very careful and were men to whom one would take off one's hat.

The Council adjourned until 11 o’clock this morning.