RAILWAY MONOPOLY

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19129, 25 September 1936, Page 13

RAILWAY MONOPOLY

LONG-DISTANCE HAULAGE

TRANSPORT CONTROL PLAN

PROPOSALS AT INQUIRY

(Per Tress Association.)

WELLINGTON, this day

Proposals and recommendations to bring about co-ordination and improvement in the conditions of tho carrying and transport of industry in Wellington were submitted to-day to ttie committee of inquiry investigating this and the taxi business throughout, the Dominion.

Mr. Georgeson, on behalf of tho General Carriers and Customhouse and Forwarding Agents’ Industrial Union of Employers, said the objective of the master carriers was the elimination of wasteful competition with a view to reducing the burden on national transport costs and the better utilisation of the capital employed. The basis of a national scheme of coordination appeared to be that the New Zealand railways should deal with long-distance haulage, while the mobile fleet of the city and town carriers could deal with short-distance cartage to and from the railways.

It was contended - that all carriers should be licensed under the Transport Licensing Act and be governed by court conditions, and be in a position to conduct sound business. There should be only one licensing -authority. Unless, and until, exempted areas were removed, there would be no means to prevent unfair competition. In order to obviate the competition experienced by the railways, it; was suggested that the Government should fix fiat rates, so that the rates-charged would, in effect;, demand the transportation by rail of all goods.

Another detrimental factor was the Post and Telegraph Department. It was urged that the system adopted hv the Post Office should be regulated on a more equitable basis.