TRANSPORT PROBLEM.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19962, 2 June 1928, Page 13

TRANSPORT PROBLEM.

CONFERENCE OF PARTIES. ATTITUDE OF COMMISSION. The conference between representatives of the Auckland City Council and suburban local bodies regarding the proposed transport board will not be held before Tuesday. It is understood the suburban representatives will be Mr. E. H. Potter, Mayor of Mount Eden, Mr. R. G. Clark, ex-chairman of the One Tree Hill Eoad lioard, and Mr. F. M. Waters, chairman of the Manukau County Council. The City Council has already appointed the Mayor, Mr. G. Baildon, Mr. A. J. Entrioan, deputy-mayor, and Mr. J. A. C. Alia in, chairman of the tramways committee, to act on its behalf. Holding that the entire subject matter of the conference comes within its order of reference, the Transport Commission yesterday declared the proceedings to be sub judice. The chairman, Mr. J. S. Barton, S.M., read the following statement which he and his colleagues had prepared:— "We think it desirable to make a statement concerning the effect on our duties of the conference between local bodies which, we are informed, is to be held, l'he position is that the local bodies, all of whom have been cited to appear before us, are conferring on a matter which has been remitted to this commission for consideration and report. "The questions of the desirability of establishing a transport board and, if so, with what constitution and powers of control and whether it should take over existing services, and, if so, upon what terms and conditions, are still before us; we must, on the evidence before us, make our report and recommendations on these matters. They are, therefore, still sub judice. "The result of the present move in the direction of a conference may be put before us; it will then be evidence in the same way as the evidence we have received to date of expressions of opinions and desire by local bodies. As such it will receive due consideration, firstly, by us, and ultimately by His Excellency and his advisers. We repeat the whole of these questions are still sub judice, and this has a bearing on the right of newspaper comment on the matter."