THE BUS REGULATIONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19391, 28 July 1926, Page 13

THE BUS REGULATIONS.

VIEWS OF AUCKLAND BODIES. PROTECTION FOR THE TRAMS. POSITION OF CITY COUNCIL. LOSSES THROUGH COMPETITION. [RT TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION. ] WELLINGTON, Tuesday. Further evidence was heard to-day by the select committee of tho House of Representatives appointed to deal with petitions presented to Parliament, on the subject of t lie motor-bus regulations. Arguments for and against the regulations were placed before the committee by representatives of the Auckland municipalities and business interests. The Prime Minister, Mr. Coates, was present at to-day's sitting.

Mr. G. B. Beaver, company manager, representing the Auckland motor body builders, said the. advent of the motor had increased the business of body builders very considerably, and they had improved their plant and machinery. In recent years they had also been able to reduce the prices of motor body work by from 40 to 50 per cent., but it appeared that the regulations would mean that all their work would go for naught. Already the regulations had resulted in big check to the industry, and staffs had to be reduced. The regulations as far as lie knew had no precedent in the British Empire. His own firm had anticipated carrying out certain improvements at an approximate cost of £IO.OOO, but it would be very chary of going on with those improvements now. Replying to Mr. H. Holland, witness expressed the view that the motor body building industry was only in its infancy. Mr. E. J. Howard: Will there not bo just as much work for body builders even if the regulations continue in force ?—That I cannot say. Service for Taliapuna. ' Mr, J. D. Morison, Mayor of Takapuna, said the configuration of his borough did not allow of a bus service. They felt they could not have an electric tram service as well as a bus service. At present the district had a private steam tram service, and the Borough Council held an option of purchase over that service, as well as the harbour ferry service. The council had been advised not to purchase the system unless it could secure control of the bus service. Witness admitted that a bus service

was required up to a certain point, such as for feeding trams, but it was not required on the main roads. He urged that the regulations should be put into effect. In replying to Mr. V. H. Potter Mr. Morison said that the price which the Tramway Company was asking for its service was £65,000.

Mr. Potter: And you will have to spend a considerable amount of money in alterations if you are going to electrify the trams ?—Y es.

Mr. Archibald Slinger, engineer for the Takapuna Borough Council, said that the difficulty they were up against at present was caused by intensified traffic. He agreed that an electrified tram service was the only satisfactory service so far as Takapuna was concerned, and, it could be made to pay if there was protection against buses. To Mr. Potter witness said it would probably cost £150.000 to purchase the present trams and electrify them.

The Regulations Endorsed. Mr. Thomas Bloodworth, a member of the Auckland City Council and Auckland Power Board, said the-council urged that the motor regulations in their original iorm or with slight modification were essential to the continued existence of the tramway system. Under the present system of free competition by motor-buses they were carrying on at a loss, and were threatened with an increasing loss as time went on. If the loss on the tramways were such that a rate had to be levied to meet it, such a rate would cripple the finance of the city, and would thus tend to hinder progress. The City Council contended that the competition with private buses which was the cause of the loss was unnecessary, as the city's transport, service could deal with the traffic offering within the tramway area. The City Council urged.that the regulations as originally gazetted would protect* the interest of (1) residents of suburban areas beyond the tramway area; (2) properly-constituted, privately-owned omnibus concerns; and, (3) the tramway interests of the city's ratepayers. Mr. Bloodworth said that ihe Auckland City Council was the largest local governing body in the country and that with the exception of two labour representatives the members had been, or were, prominent business men. It had been .stated that no election hatl been fought on the regulations and no mandate had been given the council to ask for them, or to the Government to enact them. The present 'council was elected in May, 1923. Prior to that it was known that the council was asking the Government to give legislative protection against bus competition and every one of the retiring councillors who sought re-election was successful Outcome of Free Competition. The council had to see that ail interests received due consideration. It could not allow any one section in pursuit of its business "to so monopolise any facility or to interfere witli the rights of others. The council had to spend huge sums- of money in making and maintaining ro tds and had spent huge sums in widening streets. It had under contemplation several other schemes of like nature, all designed to give facilities to all forms of necessary transport. No council could allow those facilities to be used by private omnibus interests in a manner which would impair and speedily ruin the tramway service. After referring to the purchase of the tramway system by the council and the capital involved Mr. Bloodworth said lie wanted to make it clear that if bus competition was allowed the tramway system would have to be scrapped. Tne council was now rendering better service than had been rendered by private enterprise. When it took the service over it had 166 cars, but now it had a total of 205. In addition to that the council had also very materially increased the mileage of the trams. The Best Form of Transport. Witness refuted the suggestion that the bus proprietors had not opportunity of considering the draft regulations! Since the advent of the bus competition about three years ago, Mr. Bloodworth proceeded, the revenue had been so much less, relative to the mileage run, that it was now hopelessly insufficient to maintain the service and tracks in a proper manner. The regulations at present in force were designed to give the tram system protection against the kind of competition which had brought about such a result and which would ultimately make the trams a charge on the rates. After careful examination of all evidence available the City Council was satisfied that no other transport facilities were yet available which could supersede the tramways on their essential merits, notwithstanding what the motor bus proprietors might Bay to the contrary.