THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 1929. TRANSPORT PROBLEMS

Wairarapa Age, 14 March 1929, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 1929. TRANSPORT PROBLEMS

A number of questions of great im- ;, portance to the community generally ; were raised at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Master Carriers' Federation: in M'a-sterton, yesterday. Most of these questions, however, are as yet at an inconclusive stage. It is , natural enough that the owners of read ■’ transport vehicles should demand lighter taxation and other concessions, but a finally satisfactory adjustment of these claims and others presumably mu«t await a more orderly survey ot national transport, needs and costs It is hoped that the creation of the MinP istry of Transport represents a. first step towards this much needed survey When the transport problem has been studied: in a really methodical way, questions that are now highly coniten tious will he, or should be, settled by the logic of facts. r All parties eventually should be able to agree on the basis of requiring each branch of transport to bear its own actual costs, whether these relate to the construction and maintenance of, ' railway permanent way or of motor highways. In the last-mentioned case, there is a problem of allocation betweun commercial and other motor vehicles, but it is not a problem which, should defy solution. With transport, costs fairly apportioned, and fairly passed on to the public, questions that are now obseuie or difficult should be, so clarified as largely to adjust them-1 sei vet. No doubt when a methodical adjustment of transport factors is made, it will be found that there is plenty ol scope for railways, the motor vehicle and other forms of transport, each operating in its own proper field. There are subsidiary and feeder routes which undoubtedly may he operated more economically and to better advantage by means of motor vehicles than by building a railway, but it is at the some time becoming clearer that the railway is still an indispensable factor in land transport. In this district, great importance attaches to the possibility that _ railway communications may be made very much more efficient by the electrification of the Rimutako Incline. On available information, the cost of electrifying the incline would be only about, one-tenth that of driving the tunnel which, now figures on the railway improvement programme, and ■ this lower outlay would yield substan-: tial benefits in -speedier services and reduced working costs. The report that is on the electrification of the Rimutaka Inclime is likely to have a very important bearing on the total transport problems of the_Wai-rara-pa. Although many details regarding both railway and road transport have yet to be cleared up, it is fairly obvious that it is in the efficient i co-ordination of road and railway .■•e-r- -, vices that the hope of the future lies.

THE FLOWER SHOW The Masterton Horticultural Society is to be congratulated on 'the excellence of its annual aurumn show, which was held yesterday in- the Municipal Hall. The flowers, fruit and vegetables exhibited convincingly demonstrated the wealth of that kind which can be pro-

duced in. Masterton and the snrronndln>g district. In promoting horticulture, the society is doing good service to the town, as the efforts of exhibitors who have ambitions of producing the best that is possible in their par-

ticular limes and the impetus given to residents whose pursuits in horticulture are merely pleasant and profitable Hobbies all tend to make the town more beautiful. There was one unfortunate aspect of the rhow held yesterday, however. It was particularly notice able that except for one entry in the deecrated table class, the remaining five classes of the children's failed to find entries. The children of 10-day are the men and women of to--morrow and it is to them that we look! for future results. It should certainly' be worth the society's while to ascer-l tain if the classes for children could! not he better supported, or, if neces ! sary, whether more encouragement: should be offered to ensure* an active' ■ interest in horticulture by at least a secthyn? of the younger general >;n.