H.—4o.

Although there is little doubt that direct transport charges do not lose their identity as such, the position is not quite as clear in respect of the moneys found per medium of the general and local taxation channels. The association between the operation of transport facilities and the burden of taxation (general and local) is not always recognized, although they are in fact cause and effect. This diversification or spreading of road costs has had the effect of obscuring the full real costs, with the result that many road-controlling authorities in New Zealand did not realize tho savings to be made in ultimate transport costs by a good scheme of restrictions on the gross loads allowed to be carried over the roads. The maximum load that will result in the most economic use of any road can be determined from the following factors : (a) The nature of the road surface ; (6) the transport requirements of the area served ; (c) the other transport facilities available ; and (d) the type of vehicle. As the regulations empowering the classification of roads stand at present, the suitability of the road is the sole determining factor. Where, therefore, the roads are of such a nature as to carry the loads provided under their present classification (if any), there is no power to reduce the weight-limits allowed, even in any cases where it is clear that the road standards a.re, for various reasons, in excess of the transport requirements of the area. These cases, however, are rare. In the majority of areas dealt with by the Department during the year the question at issue has been the reduction of the classification. This enabled all relevant considerations, whether economic or technical, to be carefully weighed and taken into consideration. As outlined hereunder, a number of important rural areas were investigated during the year. The modus operandi in these investigations was as follows : — (a) An economic survey covering the nature of production carried on, and the transport requirements involved. (6) An economic survey of the existing transport facilities and their adequacy or otherwise. (c) An examination of the road surfaces. These investigations yielded much valuable information on a number of aspects of the transport facilities in the areas covered. The main points of a general economic nature emerging were as follows : — (a) The relatively high proportion of the farming production required to meet road costs. (6) The absence of any conscious system of co-ordination between the road and railway facilities. It is a rather surprising fact that there are a number of localities without rail facilities which have considerably lower-standard roads than other localities with the railways, (c) The important part played by motor-trucks in hauling the primary products from the farms to the ports or the railways. (a) The absence of a full realization of the savings in actual road-maintenance and ultimate costs of transport that follow a well-devised scheme of road-classification. Road-classification and Truck-development. Truck-development in New Zealand since 1925 has been characterized by a rapid increase in the number of vehicles of between 1 and 2 tons capacity. This tendency, has also been present in other countries. Many of the earlier users of heavy trucks have found them difficult to employ throughout the whole year ; particularly has this been so in a country with such a marked seasonal tendency in the transportation of commodities as New Zealand. The economies gained by heavy haulage in the flush of the season are more than offset by the difficulty in employing these heavy vehicles throughout the whole year. The tendency has therefore been in the direction of the medium-sized trucks, which, while being able to deal reasonably efficiently with the heavy loads, are also capable of being employed to a greater extent than the heavy vehicles in the periods when the flow of commodities is on a much smaller scale. The following table shows the development in the various classes of trucks since 1925, and directs attention to the rapid increase in the medium-sized vehicles : —

Number of Trucks registered in the Dominion (including Dormant Registrations).

12

Pay-load Capacity. At 31st December, 0ver x Ton and Q yer 2 Tons and l 0ver 3 Tons and 1 Ton and under, not more than not more than | not more than Over 4 Tons. Total. 2 Tons. 3 Tons. 1 4 Tons. __ I ; 1925 .. .. 9,671 2,077 879 ! 713 333 13,673 1926 .. .. 13,056 2,827 1,155 ! 824 389 18,251 1927 .. .. 15,601 ' 3,643 1.322 | 850 399 21,815 1928 .. .. 17,057 4,302 1,465 j 866 416 24,106 1929 .. .. 18,792 6,453 1,668 I 852 424 28,189 1930 .. .. 19,839 8,034 1,798 I 872 424 30,967 Relative Numbers (1925 — 100) . 1925 .. .. 100 100 j 100 100 100 100 1926 .. .. 135 136 131 116 117 133 1927 .. .. 161 175 150 119 120 160 1928 .. .. 176 207 167 121 125 176 1929 .. .. 194 311 190 120 127 206 1930 .. .. 205 387 205 122 127 _ 226