GRAVE POSITION IN TRANSPORT

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 250, 20 July 1942, Page 4

GRAVE POSITION IN TRANSPORT

Zoning Officer’s ’ Survey STEPS TO AVOID BREAKDOWN ‘■'The tyre situation is most grave,” said the North Island transport zoning officer,. Mr. H. M Christie, addressing a speciallyconvened meeting of business men in Petone on Saturday. “There arc only sufficient tyres to carry on our heavy traffic for four months, and the zoning of transport will have to be extended. The breakdown of transport would disrupt the Dominion’s civil life, with which the war effort is so closely dovetailed. I think it may safely be said that there is today a state of emergency in transport. As zoning officer, my job is not to see by how mtiph transport can be cut down, but to see how much of the necessary transport can be provided.”

"There have been some moves toward the elimination of unnecessary transport on previous occasions,” Mr. Christie continued,' "but they were attempts at. rationalization rather than at zoning as we face it today. Now, we can only try to carry out as far as possible the business of the country; to supply such transport as resources allow.” He said he had to face the situation that he had to ask for a. reduction of commercial transport at. a time there were still private cars on the road. But those cars might, in more serious circumstances, have to be requisitioned by the Army ata moment’s notice, and the petrol given them was only that necessary to keep them in running order. Wear and tear on the tyres was therefore very light. lie had, however, asked that very drastic action should be taken to eliminate waste in the running of private cars for business purposes. Nothing must be done in that direction, nevertheless, that would interfere with the war effort. Retail Deliveries.

Turning more specially to the subject of retail delivery vehicles, Mr. Christie said; “I have to see that no running will continue that can be avoided. There are, of course, a number of people who are inclined to compare their position under zoning with that of their competitors. A number are being asked to do things they have not previously had to do in years of business. Undoubtedly some businesses will suffer. But that is better than a complete breakdown of transport. Only that morning, he said, he had jnet a number of business men in Weillngton who hud voluntarily got together and arranged a workable scheme. Some had made considerable sacrifices to reach agreement.. It was proposed, Mr. Christie told the meeting, to set up committees on zoning in each district. They would, in the main, be formed of representatives of the consumers with some members of the local councils. A member of each trade association would be on the committees, but all trade representatives would not sit together. Only the representative of that trade concerning which problems were being considered would sit at that particular It was proposed to ask the business associations to handle their own zoning plans; but matters of major moment would lie referred to him, Mr. Christie said. He would be an ex-oihcio member of every district committee. Problems would differ in many districts. Wellington, being hilly, had problems which, probably, would not be met m other parts of the Dominion. * Bread and Milk.

The zoning of bread had proved .o present special difficulties, through the different types baked and in demand, but retail delivery would be eliminated except in isolated areas, of which the Hutt Valley would probably be one. Some special difficulties iiad arisen in Christchurch over bread zoning, but they were due to a complete misconception of the results of zoning on individual businesses. The public had gaine'd the idea that the bigger Aims were greatly favoured by it, whereas figures clearly proved the contrar j. Milk zoning in the Hutt Valley would not be difficult, as there was no council delivery, Mr. Christie said. In Wellington nearby farmers had tended to work in the most favourable areas, leaving the hilly areas to the council. The demand for pasteurized milk was also a problem. There had been extensive campaigns by health experts in its favour, and much of the public had came to look on it as essential. The delivery of groceries, too, was a big problem. They formed a high percentage of household needs, and it was difficult today, with trams and buses crowded, for housewives to carry them home. Coal and Firewood.

“Of all the retail deliveries, that of coal and firewood,” Mr. Christie said, “is Hie only one for which tyres have been placed on the essential list. Other trades will not be supplied with tyres without my recommendation.” Thousands of the businesses had already been compelled to close down, and those which hud been able to continue must realize their responsibilities. .Some dealers were getting supplies denied to others because they had always dealt with individual mines. When zoning was instituted something would have to be done to equalize the position. There would have to be "blocking” of deliveries—supplies would have to be 'delivered in certain areas only on one day in each weekend they would have to be evenly distributed among consumers. “There have been cases,” said Mr. Christie, “where people have dealt with the same coal merchant for many years. The merchant has told them that he cannot deliver any longer. When they go to another merchant they have been tol'd Hiat no more customers can be accepted. That must end.” Zoning of Beer. Tlie strain on transport, Mr. Christie continued, was not only on road traffic. Al forms of transport were heavily tried. Unfortunately, delivery zoning would inevitably throw more strain on the railways, which were already severely tested by extra traffic due to military needs. Something would have to be done to relieve the railways of some of the traffic they now carried. “In the case of beer,” he said, •'there are large companies with chains of hotels. Beer, is being transported from Auckland to the Bini?, while at the same time other beer goes from Dunedin to North Auckland. In addition, this is two-way traffic, for the empties have to return. There is no necessity for transport of that sort, and it will have to end. When consumers are not permitted to obtain the particular milk they desire,' it is untenable that people should not consume the beer most handy lo them. I have asked that powers be given to end that immediately.” In reply to a question about Hie use of bicycles for goods delivery, Mr.

Christie said there was an acute shortage of bicycle tyres. Ju some areas, lie said, people were entirely dependent on bicycles for getting to their work. Wholesale deliveries, lie said in reply to another questioner, would be dealt with apart from the retail, but •something would have to be done. It might be that 'here would have to be a change from heavy to light traffic, and there might have to be some requisitioning of light vehicles. He iiad earlier explained that tyres for this tyi»e of vehicle were in better supply, mentioning particularly the 600 x 16 and 650 x 16 sizes. In conclusion, Mr. Christie said that the Dominion was better off than some countries. Britain was not as well off as New Zealand, nor was Australia, though Britain bad worked out an excellent system with what facilities she , had available.