CONTROL OF TRANSPORT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19753, 28 September 1927, Page 12

CONTROL OF TRANSPORT.

PROBLEM IN DOMINION. TASK FOR A MINISTRY. COMPETITION OF SERVICES. NECESSITY FOR CO-ORDINATION. [BI TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL REPORTER.] WELLINGTON, Tuesday. Control of all transportation in New Zealand through a Ministry of Transport, as a probable solution of the rail and road competition problem, is forerhadowed by the Minister of Railways, Mr. Coates, in the annual Railways Statement, presented to the House to-day. Mr. Coates states he is considering setting up a body to investigate the whole question, including fhe economic effect of present transport methods and the improvements that would result from Ihe proper co-ordination of services. After sketching the reorganisation of the railway service in recent years along proper commercial lines, the Minister points out that the improvements have not succeeded m providing the Railway Department with an adequate proportion of increased business comparable with the growth of population trade. Meanwhile in the last two years New Zealand has made a world's record in the absorption of motor vehicles, aiid has increased its commercial motor vehicles from 13,000 to 23.000 The road competitors of the railways have taken only the higher and betterpaying classes of freight, leaving such commodities as coal, firewood, shingle and fertilisers to be carried by raiL They have alio cut into ordinary suburban passenger traffic, leaving only the holders of workers' and season tickets. No Unfair Advantage. "These circumstances," the statement continues, "point definitely to the necessity for such action as wiii at least equalise opportunity for the railways in their business-getting efforts with those of their competitors, such equalisation taking account of (a) adequate payment for the use of roads, to put them on a parity with the railways' selfprovided and maintained permanent way; fb) assessment of the value of developmental services now rendered by the railways, and adjustment of national finance, in - relation thereto; (c) such Vegulations regarding fares, time-tables .aid routes as will prove most economi<ally efficient. 'The question of safeguarding the enormous capital cost of the national transport system requires the gravest CMsideration, and after carefully weighing the whole of tne circumstances surrounding the Dominion's transport problem, I have come to the conclusion that if we are to secure for the country a continuation of the liberal developmental and- protective policy . that has been so valuable in the past, it will be necessary to inaugurate transport control through a properly-ccnstituted Ministry ©f Transport." Two Courses Open. After pointing out that nearly £60,000,000 is invested in the railway system, and that the country is committed to an expenditure of £15,000,000 more on new lines and improvements, Mr Coates declares the present position is so serious that the public have only two alternatives in prospect :-r-{l) l'o carry on as at present, with the certainty of closing certain services; (2) to initiate an intelligent amalgamation of transport interests which will make it possible to give continuous reliable ser vice and cheaper freights If the second course is decided upon, the. present .inadequate information about road, rail and coasta! tearner trans Eortation m New Zealand will nave to e greatlyaugmented tie is therefore considering the advisability of fully n yestigating the general field of transpor tation in the Dominion The audi . oritv entrusted with the task would have to deal thoroughly with the economic effects of present methods, and also those of a better inter-relation of transport effort to reduce - overlapping and bring down costs to the public After reviewing the expected develop ment of railway facilities in New Zealand ~ in the next ten years, Mr Coates predicts that at the "end of that period a definite "line of demarcation will exist between the kinds of work that railways and road services respectively are performing, the most suitable having been selected after practical and searching tests, and there will be an absence of vrasteful competition between the two forms of transport. A. Hopeful Future. The Minister looks forward to the multiplication of regular collection and delivery services, ancillary to the rail- * "ways, m both town and country He'-believes that the fine terminal facilities now provided at the main ports ' art.') leading the steamship companies to concentrate the visits of their vessels at - those ports. "As the movement develops further," he remarks, "the rail- -: ways will be required to undertake port haulage for goods over much longer disc tances that at present, and a' new development of haulage at special shipping rates may be expected as a corollary to the general trend of transport evolution. The restless energy of our people may naturally be looked to as a potent j agency in stimulating change in the j methods of production, distribution and ; consumption in the years ahead 1 j »m hopeful that in a decade the country's position in regard to her transportation ( enterprises will be much stronger than t it can be in the present transition ] stage." ,

FACILITIES AT STATIONS. .. REVIVAL OF DfNfNG CARS. TRIAL OF USE OF HAMPERS. [sr TELEGK.VPH.—SPECIAL REPORTSK j "A E.LLIXGTQN. Tuesday Some reference t,o the facilities that .... °? a . v be expected at the now railway stations in Auckland and Wellington j$ contained in the Railways Statement. In tile equipment of stations," says the Minister. "New Zealand has nnu-h to look forward to. if some of the modern facilities of the British. European find American stations can be included m the new stations being constructed here. Wellington s new. station, tor instance will be equipped with every modern con venience, as passengers must, of necessity spend a good deal of time at this station in making connections to and from the Wellington-Lytteiton, Weihnstton-I'ioton trd Wellington-Nelson terrv steamers, end with train services to and from * Various parts of the North island I believe it w:ii soon be necessary, felso, to reopen t«e question of providing t>3ss«nzars with meals on trains. This can be done bv the reinstatement of dinms ftaloons and by the supply of hampers I secured specimens of the latter as used cn the British railways, and have, as a commencement, arranged for a supply to • be placed in service on some of the expresses. It is. of course, anticipated that ft higher standard and increased convent ft "ires, will cost a little more, hut experience gained in other countries gees Jo i'.„ Ikow that where these are desired by the travelling public and are provided bv frail-way systems no objection is raised to charges being fixed reasonably to cover 4S*e improved service."