CARRIERS' FEDERATION

Evening Star, Issue 23846, 28 March 1941, Page 9

CARRIERS ' FEDERATION

CO-OPERATION IN IMPRESSMENT SCHEME SOUND PLAN EVOLVED fl'iin United Press Association.] WELLINGTON, March 27. “ The New Zealand Carriers’ Federation and the New Zealand Road Transport Alliance representing the whole of the carriers and goods transport services of the Dominion, accept the position in regard to the impressment of vehicles for army requirements, as stated by the Minister of National Service, Mr Semple, yesterday,” says a statement issued by the secretary of the New Zealand Carriers’ Federation, and the New Zealand Road Transport Alliance, Mr H. J. Knight.

“ These organisations,” the statement says, “ appreciate that the provision of adequate transport is essential, both for the training of the defence forces and in the defence of New Zealand, and.they will assist materially to the end that these requirements bo fulfilled. The organisations have evolved a plan by which all requirements can be adequately and uniformly met throughout New Zealand. “ This plan, which has been approved by the Government, is being put into operation immediately, and the Carriers’ Federation and Road Transport Alliance are taking the initiative in setting up emergency' transport committees throughout the country. The function of these commitees will be the provision of transport for military, Home Guard, E.P.S., and other similar requirements. _ The committees will act in an advisorycapacity to the authorities to ensure that the trucks impressed are the least essential for community requirements and the impressment of which will cause the least possible hardship and inconvenience.

“ It is our view,” the statement says “ that the job of the motor transport industry is to provide the services required by all other industries and the public generally and that this applies to the emergency requirements due to war conditions in addition to all normal requirements. The shortage of new vehicles, parts and other equipment for replacement will now be intensified by the withdrawal of the many trucks impressed for defence purposes, imposing a far greatr burden on the public transport services. This burden will be taken up_ to the limit of the industry’s capacity _ and with the least possible inconvenience to transport users. “ For this reason,” the statement says “ and because of the preponderance of privately-owned trucks, it is apparent that a larger proportion of trucks both for impressment and other purposes will need to be provided _by ancillary users,. although the carriers will, of course, provide their proportion. Representatives of the ancillary users and other organisations from which transport will be drawn are being invited to co-operate, as nre the E.P.S. and Home Guard organisations. It is not proposed to add another organisation to those already existing, but rather to incorporate the separate and overlapping organisations by the provision of an emergency transport organisation in all centres by which the requirements of the defence forces and the Home Guard can be provided. 11 Reports from all parts of New Zealand are already coming in,” the statement adds, “ and in every case they indicate that the representative committees provided for have been set up and that the task is being put in hand with the ready co-operation of all concerned.”