ROAD SERVICES

Hokitika Guardian, 13 August 1937, Page 4

ROAD SERVICES

GOVT. ASSURANCE TO FARMERS.

(Per Press Association—Copyright).

WELLINGTON, August 12.

A definite assurance that the Government has iio intention of imposing any restiietions on fanners using their own tiucks for the cariiage oi their produce has been given by the Minister of Railways D. G. Suhivan).

Refcriing to this assurance, the Secretary of t.,e New Zealand Lead Transport Alliance (which has been campaigning' against the Government's palicy in the matter), Mr H. J. KniglO says: ‘Without infpugn'ng the sincerity of this utterance, as i epresen ing the present intention of t-.e Minister, it is important to observe that the assuiance is very, limited in its application, and inadequate as a safeguard even within its limits. It may be the intention of the Minister for the time being not to interfere with farmers carrying their own produce, btit no Government can bind itself indefinitely. The present transport policy will not stay put where it may be intended to stop at the moment. It if should turn out that the carting by farmers of their own produce in their own vehicles is considered to operate adversely to railway revenue, there is little reason to doubt that restrictions will soon he imposed in one form or another to force them to empldy railway transport. Mr Knight continues: The Minister should give a clear answer to the question as to whether it is proposed to intervene with the Carriage, e-f freight by road hauliers in their own vehicles. The restricted terms of the Ministerial “asstuance“ lend colour to a belief that such interference is contemplated.

The Minister says: This statement is vague and non-committal. Does it mean abo!it : on of road motor transport and the transfer to the railways of the work at pesent, carried out by the road motor industry? This' is the natural interpretation of Mr Semple’s statement that ninety per cent, of the present goods motor transport could be effh iently carried out by the radways.If it does not mean abolition of road transport, what does it mean? The road riiotor transport industry is already giving the public a flexible firstclass transport service, of a kind which the railways, from their necessary restrictions, cannot possibly do, for purely technical reasons. The Minister has given no. indication as to the nature of the “fie ible first-class service.” The inference h, that the motive for interference is the intention to bolster up, at t e cost of users of freight transport, a railway, monopoly. 1 ‘