The Maikato Times With which la Incorporated The Waikato Argus. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1929. THE TRANSPORT BILL.

Waikato Times, Volume 106, Issue 17836, 8 October 1929, Page 6

The Maikato Times With which la Incorporated The Waikato Argus. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1929. THE TRANSPORT BILL.

A good deal has been said about more business in Government and less Government In business. It is an agreeable jingle which may have meant a few votes to Mr Coates at the 1925 election. It had no further significance and Government interference grew rather than otherwise. The United Party in their campaign made similar promises, which seem likely to end in the same manner as those of Mr Coates. The latest example of bureaucratic interference is the Transport Law Amendment Bill. It is a long and complicated measure, and consists to a considerable extent of amendments to the Main Highways Act, the Motor Vehicles Act, and the Motor Omnibus Act, and it would certainly have been a great convenience to the public if these three Acts had been repealed, and those portions of them which it is not proposed to amend had been incorporated in the new Bill. It would have been possible to know where to look for the law. Transport is admitted to be a difficult question at the present time as conditions are changing so rapidly. It is possible to sympathise warmly with those who have ■-n/1 the draftinc of the Bill, and with

the Government who have the task of putting it througli the House. But while it is possible to feel sympathy, it is very difficult fo refrain from denunciation of the consistent effort to place all control of transport in the hands of the Civil Service. There are a number of committees of various kinds to be set up: Advisory Boards, Licensing Authorities, Appeal Boards, and similar bodies. In every case the majority of the members is to consist of departmental officers, and one of these is to be chairman.! A certain pretence of representation is made by calling some of the members representatives of counties and some of them representatives of boroughs, but as they are all appointed by the Minister and will in all cases be in a minority it matters very little what they are called. These outside representatives are all to be paid such sums as the Minister may direct, and those who drew the Bill evidently counted on a vast patronage which should go far to make the Government safe In office for all time. Those who hope to fill one of these futile offices maywelcome the Bill, but the public will view it with the utmost suspicion. How is it that a man appointed by the Minister is considered to be so much more competent than one elected by the people? The elected man will at least have the advantage of local knowledge, and there arc no grounds for thinking that all wisdom is centred in Wellington. The constitution of the Main Highways Act is to be chariged. and two members each for the South Island and the North Island will represent counties and one member for each Island will represent the owners of motor services. The Minister then appoints three members, of whom one is to be chairman. South Island representatives c&nnot vote on North Island proposals or North Island members on South Island proposals, so that the three members appointed by the Minister who are fixtures confront three members representing counties and motor owners, and the Minister's appointee has a casting vote. It is to be hoped that no differences of opinion will arise, for assuredly the so-called independent members will have no chance. As, like all the others, they are to be appointed by the Minister it possibly does not matter much. One of the provisions of the Bill is that £150,000 can be divided by the Main Highways Act amongst local authorities to pay 25 per cent, of the cost of maintenance of roads other than main highways. Nothing whatever is said about any basis for allocation, and the money is to be divided as the Main Highways Board may direct. As the Main Highways Board is the creature of the Minister, it may be suggested that the money in question will be divided with strict regard to its bearing upon electioneering. It is a scandal to propose to divide money purely at the will of unknown persons, but possibly such a course might be better than the ultimate fate of the subsidy if it ever becomes law.

To interfere with local government is a mistake, and if it be done in order to bolster up whatever Government may be in office it is worse than a mistake. It is possible that the Government do not realise the bearings of the proposed Bill, which has probably been prepared by the departments with a minimum of interference from the Minister. It may be that the Bill is only intended to provide careers for civil servants; on the other hand, the intention may be to load the scales against motor transport in favour of the railways, and as the committees are constituted it would be quite possible to carry this out. The capital sunk in the railways impresses the imagination of many people, and it is certainly a considerable sum. At present, however,, we are losing about a million per annum after allowing a fictitious sum as the Interest that railways should pay. it would be better to lose another million than to penalise every person and every business man by making him pay a larger sum for transport than he can get it done for at the present time. The railways are still regarded as electioneering tools. Branch lines are kept open that cannot earn working expenses, and are built to placate the constituents of Ministers. Goods are carried at uneconomic rates. If the railways were put under the charge of Commissioners whose remuneration was based on a percentage of the profits the railways would pay. At present some people pay for oilier people’s transport. It is said that there is small hope of turning the Bill into law this session. If this be so, the Government would do well to withdraw it and spend a little time on studying the provisions, of which they probably know little. They could then reintroduce the Bill early in the next session, and if they arc wise the Bill would be formed on other and different lines.