CONTROL OF TRANSPORT

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXX, 25 March 1936, Page 10

CONTROL OF TRANSPORT

MOTORISTS FAVOUR PROPOSED CHANGE (United Press Association) HAWERA, 23rd March. The complete reorganisation of the transport system as proposed by tho Minister of Transport, Hon. R. Semple, was the subject of some comment by Mr W. A. O’Callaghan, president of the North Island Motor Union. Mr O’Callaghan said that the union’s reaction to the Minister’s statement generally was favourable. The union would not regret the disappearance of the Transport Board, because of the way in which it handled the motor taxation inquiry : In regard to the proposed change whereby appeals under the Act which hitherto came before the Coordination Board are 1 to be made direct to the Minister, Mr O’Callaghan said (he union feared that perhaps successive Ministers of Transport might not themselves have a judicial mind, and that there would be a danger that decisions would be left to departmental heads.

The union welcomed the decision to adopt one set of by-laws for the whole of New Zealand, with the exception of the cities. It also welcomed the Minister’s statement that the Highways Board be allowed to continue its work, and to do even still more important work in future. The statement that arterial roads would be brought under the Highways Board was a move which would be. (o the ultimate benefit of road users and county ratepayers alike, because it must result in a discontinuance of the divergence of money from road funds to other purposes. The intention of the Minister to embark on a policy and plan reading economy was thoroughly sound, and was something that tho union had been advocating for years.