TRANSPORT SERVICES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22941, 20 January 1938, Page 13

TRANSPORT SERVICES

L MONOPOLY OPPOSED GOVERNMENT PURCHASE PLAN APPEAL FOR INVESTIGATION [bt TELEGRAPH—PRESS association] WELLINGTON, Wednesday Important policy questions were dismissed at an executive meeting of the New Zealand Road Transport Alliance at Wellington to-day. The discussions disclosed the wide difference that exists between the steps contemplated by the New Zealand Government and the results of a systematic investigation which the Government in Great Britain lad recently concluded. It was stated that in New Zealand . the present policy had a prospect of taking the form of single ownership, a purchase tribunal having negotiated for- the purchase of privately-owned road services by the Government. There was also in the policy a restriction of road haulage to 3Q-mile limits where these services operated parallel to the railway. Many road transport operators considered the policy was directed to the protection of the railway services by the creation of a transport monopoiy operated by the Railways Department.

Ia Great Britain, it was stated, the Transport Advisory Council had recommended to the British Government that any attempt to. dictate to services and to endeavour to decide that certain goods should go by certain forms of transport would be impracticable, and it was advised that all forms of transport should be rate controlled, and that from this * point the public should have a free choice of transport facilities. * In view of these recommendations, it was decided by the New Zealand Road TVan; sport Alliance to-day to approach the Government, asking that before purchase and single ownership is attempted a similar commission be # appointed in New Zealand to investigate and advise on the future transport policy in the Dominion. Conferring with the executive, Mr. A Pr O'Shea, secretary of the New Zealand Farmers' Union, urged that the strongest representations should be made to the Government against the trend toward the creation of a transport monopoly. Explaining the view of the union, Mr.. O'Shea said it was felt that with transport taking the form of a monopoly, whether tinder the direction of the State or in a private company, there was a danger ®f an imperfect service.