TRANSPORT CONTROL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20384, 12 October 1929, Page 12

TRANSPORT CONTROL.

THE PROPOSED LEGISLATION.

MASTER. CARRIERS' OPINION. SATISFACTION EXPRESSED. General satisfaction with the provisions of tho proposed Transport- Law Amendment Bill, with one notable exception, is expressed in a statement issued .by the New Zealand Master Carriers' Federation, which represents the owners of commercial vehicles throughout the Dominion. Tho one. cause of dissatisfaction is t?ie fact that the proposed legislation provides for only ono representative of both the motorists and the commercial-vehicle owners in each island 'on tho reconstructed Main Highways Board. The federation . believes that each of these sections of road-users should be entitled to separate representation. "As a general rule legislation means further restriction of tho rights of individuals, and the Transport Bill is no exception," the statement says. "The federation, however, recognises the need of a comprehensive policy of regulating motor transport in the interests of economic progress and safety. Believing that the Transport Bill represents an honest endeavour on the part of the Government? to place motor transport on a sound economic basis, the federation approves the bill generally. 4 "At the same time, the proposed constitution of the Main Highways Board is not considered to bo satisfactory inasmuch as the vehicle owners, comprising both commercial-vehicle owners and motorists, have been given one representative only for each island. Tho commer-cial-vehicle owners will not be satisfied to be represented by a motorist, and it is safe to assume that the motorists will not be satisfied to be represented by a commercial-vehicle owner. The commer-cial-vehicle owners pay approximately £700,000 a year by way of special road taxation, the greater part, of which goes into the Highways Board fund. It follows then that the commercial-vehicle owners are entitled to direct representation on the Main Highways Board.

Special Licensing Authority. "One of the principal features of the bill which meets with the approval of the commercial-vehicle owners is the provision which removes the power to licence transport services from the hands of local bodies and places it in the hands of a special tribunal. The existing system whereby a local body conducting transport services can exercise its licensing powers in respect of competitive services in such a manner as to create for itself a monopoly of public transport, is ono which cannot be defended, and incidentally one which has been tho subject of condemnation by a Supremo Court Judge. The manner in which one licensing authority in particular has exercised its powers to grant or refuse licences is in itself sufficient to .justify the proposal in the bill to appoint special licensing authorities. >

"Another provision of . the bill 'which must commend itself to all fair-miudsd people is the one which provides for the payment of goodwill to private enterprises whose services may be acquired by the State or a local body. It is not right that a person should be deprived of tho fruits' Cot his labour,' after having- devoted his capital and energy to pioneering a transport service. In the course of pioneering a service the owner may lose several thousand pounds, and, say, in the third Or fourth year commence to show a profit and recover some of his lost capital. Surely it is not right in such a caso that the local body should 'be able to step in as soon as the service becomes profitable, and acquire that service without, compensating the owner for goodwill. That would amount to nothing short of confiscation and yet the local bodies seek that right. Uniform Regulation.

"Still another commendable feature of the bill is the effort being made under it to bring about uniform regulation of motor transport throughout the Dominion. At the nresent time, each one of a multitude oi local bodies .makes its own by-laws regulating motor transport, and grave dissatisfaction among vehicleowners has arisen in consequence. To tho commercial vehicle-owners, tho Transport Bill appears to be a step in the direction of putting into effect a. definite transport policy, without, which chaos will continue. As each year increases the difficulty of controlling motor transport, it would bo folly if the Government were to delay one day longer than necessary the enactment of" a measure designed properly to control- and regulate motor transport in the interests of national progress.' , - . : "Although the bill now before tho House contains machinery for eliminating uneconomic goods . transport, and the commercial-vehicle owners may ■be seriously affected thereby, the* latter are obliged'to admit that if regulation is essential to eliminate economic waste and generally promote the national welfare, the Government is justified in proceeding with , the bill," concludes tho federation. "If there are reasonable grounds for believing that the bill is a step in that direction, the Government and each individual member of Parliament will fail in their duty if they oppose the passage of tho bill. For these reasons, the commercial vehicle-owners desiro to see the bill passed in its present form subject to a reconstitution of tho Main Highways Board in the direction of giving equitable separate representation to. the commercial vehicleowners and motorists."