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(c) Provision for securing the payment of award wages to all drivers employed by licensed services, and control of earnings of " owner-drivers." (d) Protection of the Government Railways by providing that when goods are to be transported and there is a convenient route by which it is possible to carry them over at least thirty miles of railway, then that route is to be used inclusive of the railway. (e) Provision that all goods services licensed under the Transport Act shall carry all goods reasonably offering without discrimination. (/) Regular inspection to ensure fitness of public goods-vehicles as well as passenger-vehicles. (iii) Air Services. The amendments to the Transport Licensing (Commercial Aircraft Services) Act are principally consequential on the abolition of the Transport Co-ordination Board, and the amendments provide that the Minister of Transport is to be the Licensing Authority for aircraft services instead of the Board. (c) Proposals in Hand. (i) Taxi and Town Carrier (using Motor-vehicles) Services. As a result of widespread representations received from all over the Dominion, the Hon. the Minister of Transport, in accordance with the provisions of section 11 of the Transport Law Amendment Act, 1936, appointed a special committee of inquiry, consisting of Messrs. P. M. Butler (Chairman), James Walker, and H. B. Smith to investigate and report on the whole question of the licensing, control, &c., of the taxi and town carrying businesses. The committee recommended that these services should be brought under the provisions of the Transport Licensing Act, and amending legislation giving effect to this is being prepared for consideration by Parliament. (ii) Traffic-control. The whole question of the machinery for the control of road traffic in the Dominion has been fully investigated, and legislative proposals aimed at increasing the efficiency of the present system are being prepared for submission to Parliament. The principal points covered in the new proposals are : — (a) Boroughs of 6,000 population and over will control the traffic in their own areas, while the smaller boroughs and rural areas will come under a national system. (b) Motor-drivers' licenses will be issued through post-offices, and the revenue from the fees divided between the larger boroughs and the Consolidated Fund. (c) Power whereby local bodies in and around the main centres whose separate areas may, for traffic purposes, be regarded as being one large single area, may be declared Traffic Districts, with the control of traffic in the hands of one local authority. The above proposals have been circulated to local authorities and other interested persons and bodies in order that their views may be available to the Government before the legislation is proceeded with. 14. OVERSEAS TRANSPORT LEGISLATION. Great Britain. The Trunk Roads Act, 1936, makes the Minister of Transport the controlling authority for approximately 4,500 miles of British main highways (being 17 per cent, of all roads). The purpose of the Act is stated as being to secure a proper standard of design and greater uniformity in widths, surfaces, and lay-outs of these trunk roads. An amendment this year to the Road Traffic Act permits hire of a taxi on a share-the-fare basis, and also provides for variation in the periods of carriers' licenses. Canada. The Department of Transport Act, 1936, amalgamates with that Department the activities previously controlled by the Departments for Marine and Fisheries, Civil Aviation, and Railways and Canals. South Australia. The Road Traffic Amendment Act, 1936, provides for a half-yearly system for registration of motorvehicles, and the provision of third-party insurance. It also makes various important laws for the purpose of aiding road safety. An interesting provision is that the speed of a solo motor-cycle having a pillion-rider is limited to 25 m.p.h. United States of America. Federal control of motor-vehicle inter-State traffic became fully operative during the year under the Motor Carriers' Act, which brings inter-State carriers under the control of the Inter-State Commerce Commission.

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