BUS CONTROL.

Otago Witness, Issue 3754, 23 February 1926, Page 77

BUS CONTROL.

A STATEMENT CHALLENGED. INCONSISTENCY ALLEG ED. (Tbom Orjß Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, February 17. Major G. Mason, of the London General Omnibus Organisation, who is in New Zealand just now, expresses surprise at the opposition that is being shown to the proposed regulations in New Zealand. At Auckland he pointed out that there was control in London, and also in Melbourne and Sydney. Mr B. L Hammond, who acted as spokesman for the motor omnibus proprietors ami the allied motor trades at the recent conference, makes the following comment on Mr Mason’s remarks:— “Assuming that Major Mason is correctly reported, his views come as a great surprise. A fortnight ago Major Mason voluntarily placed his knowledge and experience at the disposal of the motor omnibus proprietors and the allied motor trades in offering opposition to the proposed regulations, and actually rendered material assistance, both in framing the representations to the Government and in combating the argument of the tramway delegates at the recent conference. The alleged statement that the regulations, as originally drafted, are essential in the interests of the municipalities , which own the trams and the bus concerns also, is wholly opposed to the views expressed by Major Mason throughout the negotiation. It is difficult to reconcile the statement with Major Mason’s oft-repeated assertion that his company alone had lost £37,000 through being legislated off the roads in Melbourne, and that the company’s buses in Sydney were now lying in garages awaiting sale, and the company’s only expectation of relief wag under Mr Lang’s proposal to pay between £2,500.000 and £3,000,000 by way of compensation to omnibus proprietors. Possibly the fact that Major Mason represents a firm which in the past has done business with the tramway authorities of the Dominion. and the further fact that he expects in the future—to use his own words—to retain that business, whether or not the regulations are put through, may offer the necessary explanation of his nowmaking a statement wholly inconsistent with his previously expressed views arid past actions.”