TRANSPORT PROBLEMS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 17908, 12 October 1932, Page 11

TRANSPORT PROBLEMS

CANADIAN INQUIRY NEED POR CO-ORDINATION POLITICAL INFLUENCE CRITICISED (Elec. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (Received October 12, 2 p'.m.) I! ‘ ’ OTTAWA', Oct. 11. The report of the Royal Commission on transportation, tabled in tho House to-day, reveals'• further recommendations than those announced in the recent, summary.

The capital of the Canadian National Railways,/ amounting to 2,669,926,371 dollars, should be very heavily written down, but now is not an opportune time. There must be a cessation of aggressive and uncontrolled competition between the Canadian National and the Canadian Pacific. Money has been wasted by tho railways in the const nut ion and operation of hotels.

’ While' (hiding no direct political and public pressure in respect to the 'Canadian National, the commission states that it was the sphere of political consideration that led to nmvisfe -and iinntefcessary capital expenditures. The board of directors and the management of the Canadian National were amenable tp political influence and pressure which it would have been in the public interest to have withstood.

The private automobile was chiefly responsible for the diversion of traffic from the 1 railway to the highway. Motor coach traffic was not yet of very large dimensions. A fair basis of competition between railways and highways must be found. The true function of road trarisportation was thrtt- of an 1 auxiliary to railway transportation. - The railways should lie empowered to provide and operate services of road vehicles, and licenses should- he issued to highway common carriers - only where it was shown that it was in the public interest. At the moment, any adjustment of freight tolls and tariffs would be inadvisable. The financial position of the railways may require a special investigation into the question of tariffs and tolls.