MORE EFFICIENCY

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20919, 26 September 1939, Page 9

MORE EFFICIENCY

TRANSPORT INDUSTRY ELIMINATION OF WASTE CO-ORDINATION SCHEMES Government intentions for the coordination of the transport industry to meet the emergency conditions were outlined to more than 200 members of the industry in South Auckland last night, when Mr H. J. Knight, secretary of the New Zealand Road Transport Alliance addressed them in Hamilton. Urgency was the keynote of the proposals, which are to be administered by the industry itself. Presiding over the meeting was Mr W. D. Thompson, president of the South Auckland Council of the Carriers’ Association, which convened the meeting. Mr L. E. Ginn, of Wellington, represented the Transport Department. During the meeting, Mr Thompson was appointed the representative of the ; transport industry in South Auckland on the District Co-ordination I Committee. | “We have to do our part to help the country in time of need,” said Mr Thompson, in welcoming Mr Knight and Mr Ginn. Reducing Costs Outlining briefly the proposals of the Minister of Transport, the Hon. R. Semple, Mr Ginn said the measures applied to all forms of commercial transport. The proposals were designed to give the industry an opportunity to bring forward, itself, schemes for eliminating waste and dead mileage, and for increasing loads. It was also hoped to reduce unit costs, which at the present time kept the industry from reaching the maximum point of efficiency. The need for economies in transport and the conservation of petrol in New Zealand had become matters of urgency, said Mr Knight, in elaborating upon the points mentioned by Mr Ginn. National organisation was required, and the Government desired to co-operate fully with the industry. With that end in view meetings had been held at various centres throughout the Dominion during the past week. Proposals outlined by the Minister had provisionally cut the Dominion into 21 districts, the South Auckland being one compact area. He hoped for complete co-operation between the Transport Department and the industry, absolute consultation with the industry by the Government, organisation in the spirit of the agreement reached in March by the industry, the Government and tile Railways Department, and the rationalisation of the industry, which would have to come sooner or later but which was now a matter of urgency. Government Desire The requirement of the Government were to secure greater efficiency in transport, to conserve petrol, and to meet the requirements of mobilisation and the re-absorption of men into industry. Thousands of men would be transferred to productive work and transport would have to play a big part. Every operator was a vital and intregal part of the plan, Mr Knight went on. The Minister wanted coordination of all forms of transport to secure national efficiency. Two methods of securing this had been suggested. They were by complete organisation of each section of the transport industry, and co-ordination within the industry itself so as to eliminate waste. Elaborating these themes, Mr Knight said the industry would be divided into districts, each with its own organisation. There would also be a National Co-ordination Committee. Fees would have to be approved by the Licensing Authority. Passenger transport and rental car services would be controlled by the national committee only. With respect to co-ordination within the industry, Mr Knight said plans would have to be made in each district to avoid overlapping. It could be done either by a co-ordination scheme or by amalgamation. Licence to Operate Every operator would have to apply to the Licencing Authority for a licence to operate. Present licences would be reviewed and some suspended, but any review or suspension would be for the duration of the war only. An amalgamation or co-ordination scheme would involve the establishment of a central office for the placing of orders. He outi lined how public works contractors and cream contractors and others could be catered for. 1 It was not the intention of the