INQUIRY JUSTIFIED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19809, 2 December 1927, Page 12

INQUIRY JUSTIFIED.

C|TY COUNCIL VIEWPOINT.

ACTION OF LOCAL BODIES.

"HOPE FOR BETTER COUNSELS."

"If the outside local bodies will not guarantee any figure toward the cost of operating the services, then the City Council is free to take any action its judgment directs, and the responsibility must rest with the local bodies concerned. Personally, I hope that better counsels will prevail, and that the local bodies will recognise the needs of their districts, which have been so forcibly brought before us, by agreeing 1o accept a share in tiie financial responsibility of running the buses until such time as the findings of the commission are made known."

This comment was made by Mr. J. A. C. Alluin. chairman of ths Tramways Committee of the City Council, when the decisions made at the conference of local bodies were referred to him last evening. The City Council had had the distinct impression that the outside bodies were desirous of taking any step that would assist in placing the question of transport to the outer areas on the best footing, added Mr. Allum, and surely the best way of doing that was by an inquiry before a commission comprising impartial experts, uninfluenced by political or local feeling. ' Proposals by Prime Minister.

"The offer which will be transmitted to the outside local bodies by the Prime Minister will be perfectly clear, and opportunity will still be provided to give effect to the proposals made," continued Mi 1 . Allum. Representations were made to the Prime Minister by a deputation last week, and these representations were submitted to the City Council representatives who conferred with Mr. Coates on Tuesday. The City Council then made suggestions to the Prime Minister, which would enable him to submit proposals to the interested parties.

"If the outside local bodies have any doubt as to tho fairness of the charge of Is 6d," said Mr. Allum, "I would suggest they should communicate with Government epresentatives having a knowledge of transport operating costs. A reference to other local bodies in the Dominion carrying on transport undertakings might also be instructive." It should be clearly understood that the proposals resulted from suggestions made to the Prime Minister by the City Council as to a suitable method of dealing with transport difficulties, pending the findings of the commission of inquiry. Reasonable# time would still be given for the local bodies to consider these proposals further in order that the citizens of their respective districts should get the servi.ces they appeared to desire.

The City Council representatives were given to understand by Mr. Coates that the deputation which waitad on him last week was authorised to speak on behalf of the local bodies concerned, added Mr. Alluun Question of Private Enterprise. Questioned as to whether the suggestion by the outside bodies that private enterprise should be allowed to undertake the services to the outer" areas was not a reasonable one, Mr. Allum replied that the City Council had certain ideas on that point.' It seemed clear to the council that through services were not warranted in all cases. The outside bodies thought differently, but the coun cil was prepared to leave judgment on that matter, as on all others, to the proposed commission. In the meantime it would not bo proper to lead anyone to believe that any service could be permanently established on either basis. Private interests would only establish services if they could have permanency of tenure, and* that was out of the question, as the whole matter would be investigated by the commission. It was not fair that the City Council should be asked to abandon services for which it had paid dearly and that other people should be allowed to take over the routes, leaving the council with buses on its hands.

Pending the commission making its inquiry, the council was prepared to run any services to outside districts, subject to the stipulations announced, said Mr. Allum. One of these conditions was that the local bodies concerned should guarantee to the council a gross return of Is 6d per bus mile. "If the commission shows that we have a good case, the public should know it," concluded Mr. Allum. "If it is shown we have not a good case, then we should know it." /