MOTOR BUS SERVICES.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14017, 25 June 1913, Page 3

MOTOR BUS SERVICES.

LEGAL POSITION OF LOCAL BODIES. Dl.-XT.SSKI) iIY MI.NKTI’Ai. I ASSOCIATION. (Per United Press Association.) WKLLINCTON, June 24. A> fin- law now stand.-, according to tha iiiierjrotation of ;i ;tVanities like .Mr T. b. Aiaitni, -oaeit.n- to the Municipal Association, ami the majority of city solicitors, a iocs. I ba«y or municipality J ia ;s ,;o p.i.er to establish a motor omnibus ser- . lee iii j;s own streeU. • It iias power to i*i.i tiamu-ays, whether they are electric, steam, eompre sed air or merely horse, I Mai whatever means of traction is used I i! nr.;-.t run on mils. Tsai is the inier- | pn-nHion of file uiw. .vl the same tune, j there is nothin*; to pret ent a private eomI may. nay pe..-ou, persons or syndicate, lion, t onipeti.'g with tile established tramv.ay sy-tein by ineuiis of a motor 'bus sfi vice ra.i on tile streets v. iiieii tiie iv.te- • ay* money maintains. The ease is . xmiplilie.l to t.:c full by the success ot iin* London .Motor "Jins Companies, which •*i recent year, rave cut a*.ay nearly nil iae surplus from the huge expensive liiliii.'. ay system built by the London Coiiniy Council. It was tear of similar eo,:>ei|lienees to heuvny capitalised nuuiieipa: tramway aeiieines~u the Dominion I. at prompt.d .some of toe’ ai-gUiiient.-, over me motor 'bus question at tin: couferenee of -the executive eonuniltce of tile .Miinieijiai Assoeie.t.o.l belli in the Mayor's room at the Town Hail to-day, Mr J. P. Luke, Mayor of Wellington, | residing. Th*- .Mayor of Dunedin, .Ur JJ. Stewart, ••long.. I' up the matier in the following motion: “iiiat as some doubts have been rui-id as to the legal position of loom am horities engaging m ti;e conveyance ol I'iMv.ijiis **y means of jiiotor 'buses, the tbivei iiinml ne uimed to amend the Tramways Act iu the ui.’vetioii of giving tpeelin' ]'o ver to any lata! authorities own mg or eont roiling a tram ..ays .-yslem to run motor buses or any oilier, description oi vehicle as feeders to such system or otherwise” Mr Stewart explained that Mr Martin had advised his Connell that there was uo power ior a iniinieipaJity to provide motoi bu-es us feeders to a tramway system. 'i . ey w.; tiled some such means to test new ■mile-, before going lo the length 01 laying down an expensive tramway track, and I aey were anxious to take steps with some urgency, in view of the possibility of priyat. 1 enterprise stepping in and securing tile mo.-- 1 profitable among the outlying portions of the city where .settlement was taking place. '1 hey must forestall private enterprise in these matters, or else the tramway system would be mined by private -competition. Mr 11. I’. Unnny tLower Uv.it): Vi’cwant mole power in genera.’ for local bodies’to e-tablish a molar ’bus system. Mr !!. l-’ietelier (Wellington City ('Ollll- - emphasised the .seriousness of the case for a municipality if private enterprise wen- allowed to run motor 'buses on the selects iu competition with r. heavily capitalised municipal tramway enterprise. Toey should endeavour to get legislation j to prevent such competition. tie cited the sad predicament of the London County Council train ways, whoso revenue earning powers weie rapidly being sapped bv tile motor 'bus companies. They did not want j to . ee Wellington in such a plight. There

was a capital of nearly ,£700,001) at stake, and it should be protected and safeguarded by law. If a private company earoc along and started motor ’buses ill 'competition, they would simply htivc to scrap l.iie ■ Wellington tramways. No company should be allowed to stare ’buses wituouc the permission and license of the local authorities. " Tiie Chairman created .somewhat of a sensation when he said that the Tramway Hoard of \\ ellingtoji was that day going' to lay a recommendation before the Irani ways Committee dealing- with the i.lioie question of motor ’buses. It had taken tno initiative so far as Wellington was concerned in proposing the adoption of motor ’buses as teeners to the tramway system.. The question of legislative power was very, argent, and ho thought that the great tram way undertaking in 'which Wellington had 'laid out so much capital should be adequately safeguarded by legislation. it siiould.be within the power of iiie municipality to refuse 1o license -.chicles running in competition with the tramways. .Ur C. Cathie (Karori) brought lip the point of possible competition between local bodies themselves. -Ur. F. Townsend (Miramar) asked how i_s, was, that it b.).ctil .bodies, were allowed to run ferry . Jioats and not , motor '’buses. Mr Martin,.said that the. House of Lords hud ruled that tiie London Comity Council was-not entitled to run motor ’buses. The meeting passed Mr Stewart's motion in tins form.; •‘That the Government he urged -to amend the Tramways Act in the direction of giving- specific power to any local authorities. Borough Council or Town Hoards, whether owning or controlling a. Tramway system or not, to run motor .-,’hnsys ,oi-iany other description of vehicle as feeders to such system or otherwise. " AH ITotclier then moved; ‘'That the (loveriimeiit be asked to introduce legislation. to provide that no private person or persons or company lic 'allowed to' run motor ’buses, in any city, borough or town district without the .permission and license of iiie eontioiling local authority. ■ Air Oragii (Mastbourne) pointed out that tills meant giving a- local authority a monopoly of the public transport of passengers, and that this might lead- to stagnation. He believed in munieipalisation, but only so far as it . provided the. best .service. He thought a pure monopoly must lend towards stagnation. The Ciminnan said there would bo additional danger to life and limb iii allowing- motor buses to ply on the streets of Wellington! Air 1:1. if..Bunny (Lower Ilatt) entirely supported Air .Fletcher's motion, as the only safeguard to a municipal, body, in entering on a large undertaking of' such kind, it was not a new principle, because the Government used .it in running their railways. it was. the only method to -guarantee such large undertakings. Air H. Holland (Christchurch) added Ids, support. . Mr Eduards (Nelson) moved tl s an amendment the addition, “That sjnph permission pdiall not he arhitarilv withheld.” The amendment was defeated by a large majority, and the motion was carried, with Messrs Edwards, Uoidsworth, Organ and Townsend dissenting.