Improved Travel Services

Northern Advocate, 1 December 1947, Page 3

Improved Travel Services

Four remits were approved seeking improvements to NZR j-ail and road services in the peninsula, the departmental view being offered by Mr M. A. Hoult of the railways commercial branch, Auckland. The first of this group directed an approach to the Minister of Railways for inauguration of a rail-car service between Auckland and Northland. To this Mr Hoult said that the request would receive consideration as soon as other priority needs had been satisfied.

The conference decided to support the Dargaville chamber's claim for a twice-daily bus service between Auckland and that centre. Commenting, Mr Hoult referred to the existing rail connections, as well as road services together with the need to save petrol and the growing shortage of passenger road vehicles. Sponsoring Kaitaia chamber’s “hardy annual,” for lower passenger fares on the NZR road service between Kaitaia and Otiria, Mr L. G. Thompson said the fares compared unfavourably with those elsewhere.

Replying, Mr Hoult said that today’s charges on this sector were identical with those charged by the private operator before his department took over, despite increased costs. “There can be no question of a reduction in fares today,” he said. “The reverse is more probable.” Together with a proposition from Whangarei chamber supporting Kaitaia’s request for re-instatement of the former twice-weekly road goods service between these two centres, the remit was carried.

The conference recommended all chambers to educate citizens of their respective districts in the use of the term "Northland” rather than “North Auckland,” by which the identity of the peninsula might well be lost in certain respects. At the same time it was decided to cooperate with the Auckland Public Relations Officer to place Northland’s attractions before overseas and southern visitors.

To this end also it was agreed that strong representations should be made to the Department of Internal Affairs and to the Government Tourist Department to insure that Northland would be included in the itineraries of distinguished visitors to New Zealand. Other projects of general interest supported by the conference included the establishment of an airfield at Dargaville so that this centre might be linked with the Northland and New

Zealand air services, stabilisation of hospital levies upon contributing authorities, development of the Lake Omapere hydro-electric scheme and investigation of a flyingboat service between Auckland. Whangarei and Opua.