ROAD TRANSPORT ALLIANCE

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 January 1938, Page 9

ROAD TRANSPORT ALLIANCE

SINGLE OWNERSHIP OPPOSED

[per press association.]

WELLINGTON, January 19

Important policy questions were discussed at an executive meeting of the New Zealand Road Transport Alliance at Wellington to-day. Discussions disclosed the wide difference that exists between steps contemplated by the New Zealand Government, and the result of a systematic investigation which the Government in Great Britain had recently concluded. It. was stated that in New Zealand the present policy had the prospect of taking the form of single ownership, a purchase tribunal having negotiated lor the purchase of privately-owned road services by the Government. There was also in the policy a restriction of road haulage to 30-mile limits where these services operated parallel to the railway. Many road transport operators considered that the policy was directed to the protection of the railway services by the creation of a transport monopoly operated by the Railways Department.

In Great Britain it was stated that the Transport Advisory Council had conducted an inquiry into the whole incidence of transport during the last four years. The British Council was under the presidency of the Rt. Hon. Sir Arthur Griliith-Boscawen. F.C. and consisted of 2!) eminent public men representative of all sections of the community interested a'nd affected- In a recently-announced recommendation to the British Government, the council had said “that any attempt to dictate services and' to endeavour to decide that certain goods should go by certain forms of transport would be impracticable,” and it was advised that all forms of transport should be rate controlled, and that from this point the public should have free choice of transport facilitiesIn view of these recommendations it was decided by the New Zealand Road Transport. Alliance to-day to approach the Government, asking that before the purchase and single-owner-ship is attempted, a similar commission be appointed in New Zealand to investigate and advise on future transport policy in the Dominion.

FARMERS’ UNION SUPPORT

WELLINGTON, January 19

Conferring yesterday witli the executive of the New Zealand Road Transport Alliance, Mr A. P. O’Shea, secretary of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union urged that the strongest representations should be made to the Government against the trend toward the creation of transport monopolies. Explaining the view of the union, Mr O’Shea said it was felt that with transport taking the form of monopoly whether under the direction of the State oi' in a. private company, there was a danger of imperfect service. Mr O’Shea added that the union was not necessarily opposed to voluntary cooperation or co-ordination schemes under which individuals could pool their services to increase efficiency by elimination of dead mileages and the securing of better balancing of traffic, but it was a different thing entirely to force mergers which virtually created monopoly control over all transport arrangements. The policy of single-ownership whether by the State or by private companies was exceptionally dangerous, and contained all the elements giving rise to imI mediate future troubles.

Subject to no hindrance being offered to voluntary co-operation, the Transport Alliance endorsed the views expressed by the Farmers’ Union and it was said that it was further hoped that the union would associate itself with carriers’ associations in mutually striving for conditions which would give stabilised transport, blended to the needs of every. locality.