Transport Position

Hutt News, Volume 16, Issue 8, 22 July 1942, Page 5

Transport Position

ZoMXti OFFU'LSrS Sl'lHi-A" "The t.vre situation i.. mos! grave,'' said the North Island transport zoning oflicor. Air. I-I. M. Christie, addressing a speciallyconvened meeting of business men in Lower Jiutt last week. i here are only suflicieni tyres to carr\ on our heavy trai'lic for four months, and the zoning oi' transport will ha\e to be extended. The breakdown of transport, would disrupt the Dominion's civil life, will; whieh the war ofl'isn is so closely dovetailed. I think it may safely he said that there is today a state 01 ijinergency jn transport. As zoning Ofiicer i)!\ job is iiOt I■> See i>y how niiich irans.port can be cut down, hul. to see how much of the necessary transport can be provided. •'There have been some moves toward the elimination of uunecce:-;-ssry transport, on previous occasions," Mi'. Cnrisiie continued, "bin ilit'.v were attempts at rationaii/ai.ioii rat.he]- than al zoning as we face ii to--day. Xuw, we can only try to carry ■ out. as far as possible the business of the country; to snppi\ such transport as resources allow." lie said he had to face the situation ihat le- had to ask for ,■ '-ednation of commercial transport at a lime then* were still private cars on the road. lint Ihose cars mi: • in more serious cin nmsianees, ltave to be requisitioned by the Army at a moment's notice and the petrol given the ni was only that neecessary to keep them in running order. Wear and tear on the tyres was therefore very light. He had. however, asked that very drastic action should be taken to eliminate waste in the running of private cars for business purposes. Nothing must be done it) that direction, nevertheless, that would interior'.! with the war effort.. Ketail Deliveries Turning more specially i.o the subject of retail delivery vehicles, Mr. Christie said: "1 have to see that no ruiinitu' will continue that can be avoided. There are, of course a number of people who are inclined to compare their position under zoning with that of their competitors. A number are being asked to things they have not previously had to do in years of business. Undoubtedly some businesses will suffer, but that is better than a complete breai down of transport,."' It was proposed, Mr. Christie told the meeting, to set up committees; on zoning ia each district. t ,«>. would, in the main, be formed of representatives of the consumers with some members of the local councils. A member of each trade assc.ciation would be on the committees, but all trade representa-tives-would not sit together. Only the representative of that trade concerning which problems were being considered would sit at that particular time. If was proposed to ask the business associations to handle iheii own zoning plans, but matters oi major moment would be referred to him, Mr. Christie said. He would be an ex-ofllcio member of every

district committee. Problems wouM differ in many districts. liread and Mi Hi. The zoning ol' bread had proves to present special dilneuities through the dil'ferenl types baked and in demand, but retail delivery won. .1 l:< eliminated, except. in isolated areas, of whicli I lie Unit Valley would probably be one. Some special diincn'uies ha<l arisen in Clirictciiurcii over bread zoning, but they were due (o complete misconcept ion oi' tile results of zoning on md'.vidu businesses. The public had gained t'lie idea that the bitter iirms were greatly favoured by it, whereas the figures clearly proved the contrary. The delivery of groceries, too, was a bi;4' prof'leiu. They formed a ..igh percentage of household needs, and il. was dilliculf (oday, wiili buses crowded, for housewives to carry tlieni home. Coal and Firewood. "Of ail the retail deliveries, that of coal and firewood. .Mr. u.u.htie ■sii i»l, ''is the only out: for whic tyres have been placed on the essential list. Other trades will not b< supplied with tyres without my recommendation." Thousands of the businesses had already been compelled to close down, and lliose which had been able 1.0 continue must realize their responsibilities. Some dealers were getting supplies denied (o others because they had always deait witn individual mines. When zoning was instituted something would have to be dene to equalize the position. There would have lo bo "blocking" of deliveries- supplies would have to be delivered in certain areas only on one day in each week -and they would have to' be evenly distributed among consumers. "There have been cases" said Mr. Christie, "where people have deaii wiili the same coal merchant for many years. The merchant, has told tie'in that, lie cannot deliver any 1 oil get". When they go to another merchant they have been told that no more customers can be accepted. That must end." in reply lo a question about the use of bicycles for goods delr.ery, .Mr. Christie said that then.' was an acute shortage of bicycle tyres. In some areas, he said, people were en-

iirely dependent on bicycles for getting to their work. "Wholesale deliveries, he said in reply to another questioner, would he dealt with apart, from the retail, but .something would have to be done, ft might be (hat. there would have to lie a change from heavy, to light traffic, and there might have to be some requisitioning cjf TT.',hl vehicles. lie had earlier explained that tyres for this type of vehicle were in better supply, mentioning partieu'iarly the (JUO x Hi and (Js<) x 1(J sizes.