THE AIM IN ZONING

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIV, Issue 17, 20 July 1942, Page 4

THE AIM IN ZONING

Transport is so vital to the life of the Dominion that there is no room for hesitancy in taking the steps necessary to avert a breakdown. The North Island transport zoning officer, Mr. Christie, in an address to Petone business men on Saturday, showed clearly the gravity of the present transport position, brought about by an acute shortage of tyres, the necessity to conserve petrol stocks, and the general man-power difficulty. The facts he presented provide sufficient reasons for the adoption of a system of zoning with the least possible delay. As we have emphasised previously, zoning, whatever sacrifices to personal comfort and convenience it 4nay involve* ydl\ hm 'ftcceptgd &£ ife§

public if it is based on strict principles of equality and efficiency. It must be positive in its operations, and provide for something more than the mere elimination of certain services. The aim should be economy and regularity of service, so that all sections of the community, irrespec- ( live of where they may live, will receive equal treatment. In his statement at Petone, Mr. Christie showed ' that he is seized of the importance of this. "As zoning officer," he ; said, "my job is not to see by how ] much transport can be cut down, but . to see how much of the necessary : transport can be provided." This is a reasonable approach to the pro- « blem, and if the principle is put into practical effect the danger of zoning . operating unfairly should be very i largely avoided. v ; One difficulty that Mr. Christie and [ those associated with the introduction '■ of a zoning policy have met has been ; the necessity of asking for a reduc- • tion of commercial transport at a . time when private cars are being ; allowed to run. On the face of it, i this may appear unreasonable, but ' a closer examination of the position \ shows that there is small ground for objection. Already many cars have been requisitioned by the military authorities, and in the event of a sudden emergency very many more, , probably the great majority of those , now on the roads, would be needed for public purposes. It is therefore ] very necessary that these cars should . be kept in running order, and the , present allowance of petrol does not permit more than that. There is ■ today a minimum of pleasure travelling, and Mr. Christie has already ; asked that drastic action should be i taken to eliminate waste in the run- ■ ning of private cars for business \ purposes. Another point is that the tyres used on many private cars are not suitable for use on commercial vehicles. Mr. Christie's statement ; that he proposes to ask business , associations to handle their own i zoning arrangements, subject to the \ reference of major questions to the authorities, will be received with satisfaction. If any changes that are necessary can be made on a voluntary basis, without the necessity for irksome regulations, the scheme should work all the more smoothly. Already a workable scheme has been arranged by a section of - Wellington business ] men on a voluntary basis, and this j suggests a praiseworthy willingness to co-operate with the authorities in : meeting a difficult problem. j The public generally, and those , who live in suburban areas particu- ] larly, will welcome Mr. Christie's , statement that tyres for coal and fire- ; wood dealers have been placed on : the essential list. Coal and wood ] are commodities that definitely can- i not be carried home on tramcars, and ] there was a decided danger that those people living in the more inaccessible $reas, or in suburbs where no dealer is established, would be placed at a serious disadvantage in obtaining fuel suppliesi There have been cases, too, of people being told by their usual dealers that they can no longer be supplied and of other dealers declining to accept their custom. The zoning officer has given some attentjon to this problem, and his definite statement that those who have been placed in this position are to be protected will give satisfaction. Generally, Mr. Christie has made a reasonable approach to the whole problem of zoning and has given evidence of a desire to study all angles, with a view to ensuring fairness to all sections of the public. It will now be for the system to prove itself by ii.