Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. FRIDAY, AUGUST 12th., 1932. TRANSPORT CONTROL.

Greymouth Evening Star, 12 August 1932, Page 6

Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. FRIDAY, AUGUST 12th., 1932. TRANSPORT CONTROL.

Q)N general principles, the Railways and Transport Boards deserve public support, although it is not to be expected that all their decisions or respective policies will be hailed with enthusiasm. Reformers cannot avoid treading on corns, and yells of protest are inevitable. The Railways Board has not lacked courage, amt despite strong district opposition, has adhered to its programme, the result, on the whole, being hitherto, gratifying. The time of depression has been successfully passed through, and revenue figures are increasingly favourable. Thus far. the Railways Board may claim to have .justified the trust placed in it. The Transport. Board had a similar problem to face, in decid-j

ing the merits of conflicting claims I to the use of the roads, and to safeguard public convenience and welfare, but its members have cause to be satisfied with the first year’s progress. Senseless competition has been lessened, the safety-factor has been greatly increased, regularity of service maintained, and misuse of roads minimised. Individual cases of hardship might be cited, but that is the usual price of general progress. The lessons taught from experience of the first year’s working will doubtless be utilised by the Board, at future sittings.

Having expressed appreciation of advantages gained from the institution of a better system of control of railways and roads, it is to point out that the temptations offered by the new authority conferred, must be carefully avoided, particularly by the Railways Board, if public confidence is to be maintained. “There is a growing feeling throughout the country that the Transport Board in conjunction with the Railway Department is laying down a policy which will result in the creation of a virtual monopoly of transport in the hands of the Railway Department,” said Mr E. Hay, in his presidential address before the annual meeting of the Canterbury Sheepowners’ Union this week That fear is widespread; nor do the public speeches of the Railway Board members tend to disguise- it., A few weeks ago, Mr Sterling had something to say about abolition of harbours, with transference of their traffic to the railways. There have been inferences from the Board that national policy should be modelled, as if the Railways Board were the only thing that mattered. All should wish success to the State railways system, if only as a matter of self-interest, but there are other aspects to be considered. Monopoly, z or anything approaching it, is bad for all concerned. Much of to-day’s less autocratic attitude of the Railways Department to the public, was due to the results of the competition from motor-ears and lorries. It will be good when the State railways pay an adequate dividend for the heavy expenditure, but there will be no real gain, if such profit is obtained at the national expense.