RAIL VERSUS MOTOR TRANSPORT.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 4 October 1927, Page 5

RAIL VERSUS MOTOR TRANSPORT.

PRIME MINISTER’S SOLEMN

WARNING.

A warning to fanners was thrown

out by the Minister of Railways (Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates) in the House on Saturday morning, when replying to the prophecy of Mr F. F. Hockly that the dairy farmers would turn to road transport if the railway time-tables were not adjusted to meet their convenience when daylight saving comes into

operation. "It appears to me," said Mr Coates, "that road transport, as an alterative, may seem all right, and no doubt would meet the requirements of the farmers, but I am wondering where the people of New Zealand and particularly the farmers woiild be under such circumstances. Does the farmer realise that, after all, he has to pay for the road? Does he realise that the cost of the road is not borne T>y the machines using it, but by the rates levied to meet the loans? What is pressing upon the farmer to-day more than anything else is the heavy local rating, so that we are getting into a very extraordinary position. "While we are trying to give

the farmer every possible facility

in the way of cheap freights for

this and that, motor competition is loading up the farmer with rates, and the Department is being forced into the position of having to increase railroad rates instead of re-

ducing them and of being unable to afford the facilities asked for.

I hope the people will realise that the position is serious, because it is serious. ”